


You Make Loving Fun

by alliecat23784



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, One Direction, niall horan - Fandom
Genre: Ex Royal Navy Harry, Famous Niall, Fluff, Happy Ending, Harry has issues from his time at war, I don’t delve into it though so there shouldn’t be anything triggering, It’s hot, M/M, Minor violence near the end, Niall likes to have his ass grabbed and smacked, Smut, Tour Fic, bodyguard fic, implied that Harry suffers from PTSD, niall helps him, non famous Harry, nothing gory or detailed, still proceed with caution if you need to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 15:09:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 71,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14215815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alliecat23784/pseuds/alliecat23784
Summary: When Popstar Niall Horan is in the middle of his ‘Flicker Sessions’ tour in support of his first solo album, he learns from his managers there have been threats against him and they’re hiring a former member of the British military to be his bodyguard. Niall isn’t happy about it and to make matters even worse, when he meets his bodyguard Harry Styles he finds him to be closed off, abrupt and arrogant. The two clash but there’s a lot more to Harry than meets the eye and soon Niall figures that out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone!
> 
> A new fic! Yay! Lol This is a self indulgent one for me. I’m a sucker for bodyguard fics and love the thought of Harry being a protector so I decided to write about it. It is quite a long fic as per usual with me so I will post it in two parts. Part 2 will come a few weeks after Part 1. I just have a bit to finish. In the meantime you’ll be able to enjoy part 1!
> 
> A couple of warnings for you. Harry is ex military and displays some symptoms of PTSD. Since I don’t know much about PTSD I don’t go into it too deeply. Just in case, though, if you think it will upset you make sure you’re careful. 
> 
> Also when it comes to the British military I don’t know anything about it since I’m not British so for the sake of, well, me LOL please just go with what I’ve written and pretend it’s right.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! It took many months for me to write and I worked hard on it so any comments you can leave for me will be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading this! I love you guys!
> 
> Allie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Niall Horan sat at a long, sleek, table in a large, pretentious conference room, staring across the table at his managers Richard and Harry. This is the part of his career he hates the most - sitting in fancy offices in fancy high rise buildings that face the Hollywood Hills, with bottled water that probably cost twenty quid in front of him. This is the part of his career that isn’t him. He’d much rather meet with his managers at a pub or even Starbucks but logically he knows that’s not possible. Most things they discuss about his career are confidential and can’t be spoken about in Starbucks where any barista can record it.

Right now, being in this room is certainly making what he’s listening to, worse. He likes his managers, he really does. He’s the only member of One Direction who stayed with them after they decided to pursue solo careers. He’s not liking what they’re currently saying, though, not one bit.

“You’re not fucking serious, are ya? A bodyguard? Oh I’m sorry, what was it you called it? A _highly trained_ bodyguard? What does that even mean? What’s Basil been for all these years if he hasn’t been me bodyguard? Just hangin’ out keepin’ me company?” Niall says, sitting back in his leather chair and folding his arms across his chest.

Harry McGee sighed from across the table and made eye contact with Richard for a minute, making Niall highly suspicious they weren’t telling him something, “Niall. Basil and the other security you had while with One Direction did a very good job. Basil _still_ does a very good job but he’s there for crowd control mostly. He keeps girls back when you’re making your way into a radio station or venue, he keeps paps away from you when you’re out in public. He’s not trained in the way we need, though. He’s not military trained.”

Niall’s eyes widened and he sprung forward in his chair, planting both hands flat on the table in front of him, “ _Military_ trained?? What are you - why would I need a military trained bodyguard? What the fuck is going on? I figured I was coming here today to discuss next years tour not a _military trained bodyguard!!!_ What is this about? Somebody start talkin’ because in case ya haven’t noticed I’m not a snot nosed sixteen year old anymore. I’m twenty-four and I think I can handle whatever it is you’re going to say.”

Richard held his hands up in surrender, trying to placate Niall, “You’re right, Niall, you’re absolutely right and we are going to tell you. It’s come to the point we have to.”

“Richard is right,” Harry added, then he reached for his tablet and opened up some file or website, “Look, Niall there have been some threats.”

“Threats?” Niall furrowed his brow and looked between the two men across the table from him, “This is about some stupid fan mail? Some girl who hates me because I didn’t notice her on Twitter? Or some guy sending me hate because I’m in a boy band and boy bands are ‘uncool’? Harry...that shit’s normal. Are ya going through a midlife crisis or somethin’? Is this why you’ve all of a sudden lost yer damn mind over some hate mail?”

Richard snorted and Harry glared at him before returning his gaze to Niall, “Nobody is going through a midlife crisis, Niall. Stop joking around and take this serious now. We agree with you that hate mail is usually harmless. Ninety nine percent of it usually is. What we’ve been receiving, however, is not harmless. It started out as mail sent to our offices at first. Over time it became more frequent and then eventually e-mails started. They became serious enough and frequent enough that we got a private investigator involved.”

Niall sat back again, his mouth hanging open as he took it all in. None of this can be right...can it? This is real life, not some Whitney Houston movie. He can’t really need a bodyguard because his life is being threatened? Harry and Richard are just messing with him - they must be. Yet when Niall made eye contact with both of them it was painfully obvious they weren’t joking. They were being very serious.

“Niall,” Richard begins in a soft voice, “I know this must be coming as quite a shock to you. Can we get you anything? More water? Tea?”

Niall shook his head slowly, his eyes darting back and forth between Harry and Richard, his fingers digging into the leather armrests on his chair, “I think I need a shot of that bourbon I know you keep in your office, Harry.”

Harry didn’t argue with him, just made the call to his assistant who came in two minutes later with the bottle of bourbon and laid it on the table in front of Harry. Richard got up and got some glasses, pouring them two fingers of bourbon each. Niall accepted his with a muttered ‘thanks’ then quickly knocked it back, savouring the burn in his throat as he slid his glass across the table for more. Richard obliged then sat back down and got back to business.

“The person who is doing this - he’s not messing around. He’s not even trying to hide who he is. We know who he is because he blatantly told us his name and led us to his social media accounts. The problem is - he’s very tech savvy. The investigator we hired suggested we get the police involved and we have, discreetly of course, and so far there has been no luck. He bounces his IP address all over the world. He could literally be anywhere,”

Niall didn’t know what to do, what to say. He was dumbfounded and still in shock that this was actually happening, that this was real life, “So...he’s smart and good with technology. Okay. What has he said that is threatening toward me?”

Richard and Harry looked at each other again and it made Niall want to smack the two of them. They brought him here when he’s due back in New York for a concert tomorrow, they’re definitely getting him worried, so just spit it out already and stop the God damn dramatics!

“We don’t know anything for certain. We’ve had to piece things together from stuff he’s said in his e-mails and letters as well as things on his social media,” Harry begins slowly, “It looks like a few years ago he had a girlfriend who was a big One Direction fan. You were her favourite and it appears she became increasingly infatuated with you to the great dismay of her boyfriend. He hated she spent all her time watching One Direction videos and on Twitter. They fought a lot, she broke up with him, he snapped.”

Niall’s mouth dropped open and he looked at his managers like they were mad, “What do you mean he snapped? People don’t snap just because they get broken up with. Not unless they’re psychotic!”

Richard shrugged and placed his hands flat on the desk, “I’m not a psychiatrist but he certainly seems like a very disturbed young man. He blames you for her breaking up with him. He thinks you seduced her with your songs and the way you act during concerts. There’s lots of nasty stuff said about you on his social media, and in his e-mails to us. What really prompted us to finally say enough is enough is when he sent a video to us yesterday of you and Mark working out in your hotel gym. He was there. He was watching you. We have to take action now.”

Niall felt a chill run down his spine and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. This guy was with him in the gym? Which gym? Which hotel? How long ago? Was it just yesterday or the day before? Niall takes a drink of his bourbon and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, “Okay. By take action you mean a bodyguard? From the military?”

“Yes,” Richard and Harry both said at the same time, Harry continuing, “We really don’t know a whole lot about this guy. He’s smart tech wise and he seems disturbed but is he dangerous? Will he try something? We can’t be sure and until the police find him and arrest him we want you protected and we want the best. Richard has a good friend at Scotland Yard who knows someone retired from the British Military. Richard’s friend’s name is Dan and Richard contacted him this morning. Dan is going to speak to this guy and ask him to come over here and watch over you until this is settled.”

Niall’s face immediately screwed up at that, “Watch over me? I’m not a child. Will he have to go everywhere with me? Basil is only around when we know I’m going somewhere with a crowd. I go everywhere else on me own with friends.”

Both Richard and Harry looked sympathetic but Niall could tell they weren’t going to budge, “I’m sorry, Niall,” Harry said, “He’ll have to go everywhere with you. He’ll blend in. Fans won’t know who he is but they’ll just think he’s another friend of yours or of one of the band members. We want to keep this under wraps so not many people will know who he really is. We don’t want the media and your fans finding out about this and causing mass hysteria.”

Niall sighed and held a hand up to his forehead for a minute, “So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“In the meantime you lay low. No mention of your whereabouts on Twitter please. You’ll go straight from here to your flight back to New York then once there you’ll go straight to your hotel until it’s time for the venue. Basil will be with you and he’s been briefed. We’ll call you as soon as we hear from Dan. Do you understand?” Richard asks.

Niall rolls his eyes, “Loud and clear. I’m to be trapped in me hotel room until Mr. Military arrives. Might as well put me in a fuckin’ zoo.”

Ten minutes later, Niall is pleasantly buzzed and on his way to the airport for his flight to New York.

  
~~~

  
Harry Styles sits in his living room in London with his feet up on his coffee table, laughing in the face of the man sitting perpendicular to him. Dan is a high school friend of Harry’s father and has known Harry since he was born. Perhaps that’s why he simply rolls his eyes at Harry and gives him a ‘really?’ look that has Harry cackling even more, “How did you expect me to react, Dan? You just asked me to be a glorified bodyguard for a pop star.”

Dan threw his hands up in the air and shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips, “There’s nothing glorified about it. This isn’t a typical bodyguard job. He has someone who gets him through crowds and keeps paps away. This is serious. His life is most probably in a lot of danger and his managers are looking at hiring the best. That’s why I immediately thought of you when I spoke to Richard.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow at Dan and lifted his smoothie to his mouth, sucking loud and obnoxiously through the straw, “Am I supposed to be flattered?”

Dan rolls his eyes and sits forward in his chair, “I don’t care what you are, Harry. It’s a job, a job you’re very qualified for, and it pays a lot of money plus gets you out of this flat. Take it.”

Harry pursed his lips together and stared at Dan, “I get out of the flat. I run ten miles every morning, I go see Gemma, Sami and Nick all the time.”

“Yeah and that’s all you do. You never try to meet anyone new or go out and have fun,” Dan said softly.

“Well, Dan, I was a bit busy getting shot. Remember that? Shrapnel exploding into my shoulder everywhere. Intense pain, lots of PT. No time for fun. Besides,” Harry paused and let a slow smile cross his face, “Didn’t you say this pop star was in a lot of danger? Wouldn’t exactly be fun for me would it?”

“You’re infuriating!” Dan said, getting exasperated now, “You’re only twenty-nine years old, H. I thought you’d want to get back out there and work again. It’s a good first job and it pays well. You can put the money away for your future. The pension you get from the Royal Navy may be enough for you to get by on but it’s not enough to support a family and I know you want one someday.”

Harry was getting tired of this now. He loved Dan and welcomed him here anytime, but he didn’t want to babysit some privileged pop star. It just wasn’t going to happen, “Money isn’t an issue. You know that. I’ve got that money left to me and my sister by our grandfather. Sorry, Dan. Thanks but no thanks.”

Dan sighed and Harry was hopeful he was giving up...until he opened his mouth again, “I guess I need to bring out the big guns then. Are you forgetting your goddaughter is a huge One Direction fan and that her mother brought her to see Niall Horan in concert just a couple months ago here in London? How do you think she’d feel if something happened to one of her favourite singers? How would _you_ feel if you knew you could have stopped it and didn’t feel like it?”

Harry sat silently for a good five minutes, clenching his teeth together and cursing Dan and a million other things in his head. Sami was his weakness. He loved her beyond words and would do anything for her, a fact Dan was well aware of. He no longer loved Dan. Dan was no longer welcome to come to his flat. Nope. Never. “When do I start?”

  
~~~

  
Niall was sitting in his hotel room mid morning on Halloween, signing a bunch more CD covers for his fans and listening to music when he gets a text from Richard Griffiths letting him know he was on his way up to Niall’s room right now.

“What the fuck?” Niall muttered, standing up and grabbing a pair of joggers from his suitcase to put on. So much for sitting around in his underwear and relaxing all morning. What was Richard even doing here anyway? Niall just saw him at the Modest! offices in L.A. yesterday and he didn’t say anything about coming to Niall’s show in New York.

There’s a knock at his door just as he pulls a white t-shirt on over his naked torso and he walks over to answer it in his bare feet thinking surely Richard can handle him not wearing socks right now. “Richard,” Niall says when he opens the door and sees his manager on the other side, “I didn’t know you were coming to the New York show?”

Richard smiles and shakes Niall’s hand, stepping inside the room and waiting for Niall to follow him in, “I wasn’t. I heard from my friend Dan at Scotland Yard yesterday and the person he recommended to be your bodyguard agreed to the job. He should be here soon. I arranged a car to pick him up at the airport and bring him here to meet you. I thought I’d stop here on my way back to London to make sure he’s settled and that everything is in order.”

Niall nodded and walked back over to the table by the window where he had everything spread out. He picked up another CD cover and signed his name, not really sure what he was supposed to say. He wasn’t thrilled he’d have someone following him around literally everywhere like he was a child, but he also wasn’t thrilled that he essentially had a stalker - a very unstable one apparently.

“Are you okay, Niall?” Richard asked, taking a seat across from him, “Anything you need just ask. That’s always the case but right now I want to make sure you know we mean it. This can’t be easy. I wouldn’t blame you if you’re still in shock over all of this. I’m pretty sure myself and Harry are and we’ve had a lot longer to deal with this than you have.”

Niall pauses in his signing and lays the sharpie down on the table, “It doesn’t seem real to me. I honestly didn’t think this kind of thing happened to people like me. I thought it only happened in the movies.”

Richard nodded and looked out the window at the Manhattan skyline, “Sadly it happens more often than the public knows. It’s kept quiet most of the time but sometimes it leaks - like when Sandra Bullock had a stalker break into her house while she was sleeping a few years back. Our goal is to keep that from happening to you while the police work to find this guy. That’s why we hired the best.”

“Who is he? The guy you hired?” Niall asked, picking up a bottle of water and drinking half of it down.

Richard took out his phone and went into his e-mail, scrolling through until he found what he was looking for, “His name is Harry Styles. Twenty-nine years old. He spent ten years in The Royal Navy with SBS until he was medically discharged last year after being shot and having shrapnel tear up his shoulder. He’s completely recovered now but damage to his shoulder keeps him from passing the strict medical you have to pass to be in the Navy - hence the medical discharge.”

Niall put the cap back on his water bottle and squinted across the table at Richard, “What’s SBS?”

“Oh,” Richard scrolls through his e-mail again for a second, “Apparently they’re one of Great Britain’s elite special forces teams. They support the SAS at sea and on the ground.”

Niall stared blankly across the table at Richard, “For fuck’s sake, Richard. I don’t know what the SAS is either. It feels like we’re bloody talkin’ in code!”

Richard chuckled and put his phone down on the table, “The Special Air Service. You know those movies and tv shows you keep seeing on tv here in America about Navy Seals? He was like the British version of that.”

Niall’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, “Seriously? Jesus Christ! Do you really think I need someone that qualified? That’s...holy shit.”

“We don’t know, Niall. Probably not but we’re not taking any chances. If this was just a crazy fan we could handle it easily but it isn’t. This guy could have been mentally unstable for years and his girlfriend breaking up with him is just the thing that made him snap. He could be all sorts of dangerous so the LAPD said it certainly couldn’t hurt for you to have some extra, very skilled security around you. We just want to be prepared for everything and anything,” Richard said calmly.

“So...” Niall swallowed thickly, his eyes shifting all around the room at this point. This was all starting to feel way too real to Niall, “Is he going to be, like, carrying around a gun?”

Richard nodded solemnly, “I believe so, yes. Prepared for everything and anything remember? The LAPD will be helping us out with making sure he has all the proper carrying permits here and you won’t have to see it if you don’t want to. I’m sure he’ll be very discreet. He won’t be waving it around everywhere.”

Niall snorted and looked at Richard with a smirk on his face, “I’d think you were talking about something completely different if I had just walked into the room.”

Richard let out a booming laugh and slapped the table with one hand, “Hopefully he’s not waving _anything_ around.”

Niall is cackling with laughter when Richard’s phone dings with a text message and he looks up at Niall saying, “He’s here. Coming up now. I’ll go meet him in the hall and bring him in.”

Niall nods and goes back to his signing while he waits. Five minutes pass before he hears voices outside his door that Richard left open a crack and then the door is opening and Richard is walking in, deep in conversation with a man behind him. Niall stops what he’s doing and lays his sharpie down on the table, taking this opportunity to study the man who will be glued to his side for God knows how long.

The first thing Niall noticed when he looked Harry Styles up and down is how fit he is. He’s tall, with broad shoulders, bulging biceps through the long sleeve shirt he’s wearing, and thick, muscular thighs that look like they’re straining to break free from the tight jeans he’s wearing.

The second thing he notices is that Harry Styles is not only fit he’s pretty too. Niall can’t tell from where he sits what colour his eyes are but he can see how intense they are as Harry focuses on what Richard is saying to him while his eyes travel all around the room, seemingly not even noticing Niall is there. His jawline is so sharp it looks like it could cut rock and his hair is dark brown, thick, and pushed back off his forehead in waves.

The third thing he notices is that Harry Styles has a very deep, very slow drawl when he speaks, his British accent thick and posh sounding. Niall felt goosebumps on his arms just from hearing it and he knew he was screwed. He is attracted to Harry Styles, no doubt about it, and he had a feeling that would be a bad thing. A very bad thing.

“Niall?” Richard’s voice brings him out of whatever trance he was just in and he snaps to attention, standing up and pasting a small smile on his face, “I’d like you to meet Harry Styles. He’ll be working with you for the foreseeable future like we discussed.”

Niall nodded and held his hand out to Harry, “Nice to meet ya, mate. I’m Niall.”

Harry shook his hand, quick and firm, nodding his head at Niall and saying, “Harry,” then he dropped Niall’s hand and walked over to the window, looking out at God knows what and leaving Niall confused.

“Were you just sitting here? By the window? With the curtains open?” Harry asked, turning around and settling his intense gaze on Niall.

Niall is caught off guard and a bit disoriented as he looks back at Harry, straight into his eyes that he can now see are green, “Um,” Niall cleared his throat, “Yeah? Was I...not supposed to?”

Harry stares at him for a moment longer then turns his back to Niall and pulls the curtains closed. Niall looks at Richard who just shrugs and turns his hands palms up in the air. When Harry turns around again he says, “Don’t sit by windows anymore.”

Niall is completely baffled right now, “Why?”

Harry gives him the same intense look he’s had since he walked into the room, making Niall feel like he just got the wind knocked out of him, “So you don’t die.”

Niall’s eyes widen and he struggles to find his voice, making some pretty unflattering choking noises in the process, “What do you mean? You can’t just walk in here and make a statement like that without explaining yourself.”

“Oh,” Harry tipped his head to the side and genuinely seemed like he didn’t understand how Niall didn’t already know the answer, “I would have thought it was obvious. There’s another building directly across from us. Anyone with a sniper rifle could set up in any of those windows and blow your head right off. Wouldn’t take an expert sniper either, not with there being no wind today. An average shooter could make the shot.”

Niall’s eyes were bulging out of his head at this point and he could feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat. He looked to Richard who seemed to be just as taken aback as he was, then he looked back at Harry who was ignoring him again and was back poking around the room, “What the fuck, mate?? How can you - you can’t just come in here and tell me I’m about to get me head blown off!! This is - this is - “ Niall is flailing his arms around in the air as he tries to find the right words, “This is bloody madness! I’m just a normal person who sings as a job! I’m not the fucking President of the United States! People aren’t hanging out of windows trying to kill me with sniper rifles. Jesus Christ!”

The whole time Niall was having his freak out, Harry completely ignored him and continued looking around, only turning around to face Niall when he stopped yelling, “Are you done?”

Niall threw his hands up in the air and tried his best not to scream, “Am I - “

“Because if you are then I have to remind you that the Detective from the LAPD who has been working on your case has brought me completely up to speed with what’s going on and I was told there’s not a whole lot they know about your stalker. Obviously he’s very tech savvy but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to shoot a gun. The best sniper in my unit was a brilliant hacker.” Harry says, his tone never changing from the calm, almost bored sound it’s been since he walked in the room.

“Oh my God,” Niall lifted a hand to his forehead and looked from Harry to Richard with wild eyes, “That - that doesn’t make me feel any better!”

Harry reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of gum, unwrapping it slowly and popping it into his mouth. He chews for a full minute before he speaks, “Not here to make you feel better. I’m here to keep you alive. As long as you do as I say I’ll succeed.”

Niall was getting angry now. Who the fuck does this arsehole think he is? God? Niall doesn’t have to do anything anyone says! He’s a fucking adult! Clenching his teeth together, he walked toward Harry, his hands balled into fists, “How dare you?? How about I punch you in the face and then we’ll see what you have to say??”

Niall is toe to toe with Harry now, looking up into his face. Harry looks down at him and just keeps on chewing his gum like nothing happened at all, “Is he serious?” Harry asks Richard, a slightly amused look on his face.

“No!” Richard steps forward and pulls Niall back away from Harry, “He’s most certainly not serious! Niall, get a hold of yourself! This is serious. When Harry asks you to do something it’s for your safety and you need to do it. Stop acting like a child.”

Niall can’t believe this, he really can’t, “I’m not acting like a child, Richard! You never told me I’d be stuck with someone who is so nonchalant and clearly doesn’t give a fuck if I live or die! We’ll all be fucking miserable on this tour.”

Harry continued to chomp on his gum, his intense stare making Niall feel completely inadequate standing here, “Listen. When it comes to a human life, I’m never nonchalant. I’m trained to remain calm and assess every and any situation. I also don’t waste time mincing words. I’m blunt, I get to the point. If you can’t handle that I can leave. I wasn’t looking for a job. I got guilted into it because my goddaughter is a huge fan of yours apparently. For her sake I’d rather you didn’t die.”

Niall studied Harry while he spoke and while his face remained the same, Niall could see his eyes grow a bit softer when he brought up his goddaughter. It was only there for a moment but Niall saw it and perhaps that’s why all the anger seemed to leave his body and he sighed in defeat, “Okay. Fine. When you tell me to do something safety wise I’ll do it.”

Harry nodded curtly then turned toward Richard, “I believe you wanted to brief me on the tour schedule with someone named Basil?”

“Yes,” Richard eyed Niall warily before continuing, “Basil is Niall’s bodyguard. He can help you with whatever you need and I thought it prudent to have him in the meeting so you can meet him and you both have the same information. Same page and all that.”

Harry nods again in agreement and heads for the door while Richard looks to Niall again, “Do you want to sit in on this?”

“Definitely not,” Niall said, walking over to the table and gathering up his box of CD covers to move to the coffee table in front of the TV, “You can fill me in later on anything I need to know.”

“Alright,” Richard clapped him on the shoulder, “Try to relax okay? Harry really knows what he’s doing. You’re going to be fine.”

Niall smiled at Richard, sitting down to finish signing CD covers while Richard and Harry leave his room. Once they’re gone the fake smile leaves Niall’s face and he sighs and rests his head in his hands. He really doesn’t think he’s going to be okay. Not only does some psycho apparently want to kill him - his bodyguard is a prick and Niall is very attracted to him. This could only end in disaster.

  
~~~

  
After spending an hour getting familiar with Niall’s tour schedule and talking to Richard and Basil, Richard leaves to go speak with Niall again while Harry stays in Basil’s room. Since they were apparently leaving on the tour bus for Toronto tonight after the show, there was no point in getting Harry a room. Harry was fine with that. He liked Basil already and he’s happy to kick back on the couch with his feet up until it’s time to get Niall to the venue for sound check.

“So? What do you think?” Basil sits down across from him and opens up a can of soda, “I don’t need your military expertise to know this isn’t going to be easy.”

Harry snorted and blew a bubble with his gum, “You’re right about that. A lot of variables to worry about. Bus, venue, hotel, wherever he goes for interviews. We’ll need to remain sharp at all times. Nothing I’m not used to.”

Basil nodded and took a sip of his drink, “Whatever you need I’m here to assist. Jarv usually helps out with crowd control as well, even though it’s not his job.”

“Jarv?” Harry asks, cocking his head to the side.

“Mark Jarvis. Niall’s personal trainer. Big guy. Happy to help where he can,” Basil answers.

Harry nods and tips his head back thoughtfully. It’s quiet in the room except for Basil occasionally sipping on his drink and Harry likes it that way. It gives him time to think, time to formulate a plan. He has a feeling he might have his hands full with this Niall Horan. The Irishman had a bit of a temper when provoked and definitely didn’t like being told what to do. Unfortunately that was just too damn bad for Mr. Horan. If Harry had to he’d throw the smaller man over his shoulder and carry him about. He may not have wanted this job but he has it now and he’ll be taking the safety of Niall very seriously. Nobody would be getting in his way - not even Niall himself.

“Hey,” Harry says after awhile, “You said there’s sixteen people in Niall’s entourage or whatever you want to call it. Be honest with me here, am I going to have issues with anyone not cooperating and doing what I tell them?”

“Nope,” Basil answers right away, looking completely sure of what he was saying, “Definitely not. We’re a tight knit group and we all care about Niall. Yeah everyone likes to mess around and have fun, keep things light and all that but once the situation is explained to them they’ll be on board. You won’t have any problems.”

“Good,” That’s what Harry wanted to hear, “Do you think we can gather everyone right now and talk to them before we have to go to the venue? Maybe give His Highness a heads up first since we’ll probably use his room. I suspect it’s the biggest.”

Basil quirked an eyebrow and Harry could see his lip twitching as he tried not to grin, but he didn’t comment, except to say he’d send out some texts and see if he can get everyone to meet in Niall’s room in an hour.

While Basil was busy with that, Harry got out his own phone and scrolled through some of his missed texts he accumulated while on the long transatlantic flight to New York. He answered a couple but his mind kept wandering to fiery blue eyes and a feisty Irishman who had the nerve to stand toe to toe with him and threaten to punch him. Harry had to admit that took guts. Niall must be aware of Harry’s background and the fact that he could easily handle someone of Niall’s size with one hand tied behind his back.

A small smile threatened to make its way onto his face at the thought of the feisty Irishman and he bit down on his lip to stop it. He wasn’t here to be amused and have fun. He was here to do a job, to protect a life, and there was nothing in this world Harry Styles took more serious than that.

  
~~~

  
After the show in New York, Niall, his band, Mark, Basil and Harry all got on the bus to drive up to Toronto overnight for the show tomorrow. Everyone stayed up for awhile, winding down, drinking beer, listening to music, watching tv, then one by one everyone headed to their bunks, including Niall who fell asleep pretty quickly after a long, exhausting day.

He couldn’t have been asleep for too long because when he woke up it was only just after three in the morning according to his phone. He felt wide awake so with a sigh he pushed the blankets off himself and quietly left his bunk to head out to the living area to make himself a cup of tea. When he gets there, one light is on and he stops dead in his tracks when he realizes Harry is sitting on the couch with a blanket thrown over himself and reading an old, paperback book.

“Umm,” Niall starts awkwardly, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb you. Was just going to make some tea. Would you like some?”

Harry’s eyes never leave the book as he reaches for the table next to the couch and lifts up a mug to show Niall, “Water’s probably still hot.”

Niall nodded and walked over to the kettle, feeling that it was indeed still hot. He poured himself a cup of tea then turned around and awkwardly stood facing the couch while Harry continued to read and act like Niall wasn’t even there. After a minute, Niall rolled his eyes at himself and took a seat in one of the chairs. This was his bus too. He didn’t need to stand around worried about annoying his bodyguard. Harry worked for him, not the other way around.

“So,” Niall starts because he can’t seem to just sit there and keep his mouth shut, “Did you like the show?”

Harry finally looked up from his book, his eyes seemingly staring into Niall’s soul. The intensity that was always there in his eyes was unnerving to Niall and always seemed to take his breath away for a moment and leave him speechless, “I didn’t really see the show. I was focused on walking around and looking for anything suspicious.”

Well then. Niall doesn’t know what to say next and now Harry Styles is sitting there staring at him like he’s waiting for more. Great. This is just great. Not only does he need a bodyguard because there’s a psycho on the loose, but said bodyguard is attractive as all hell and practically oozing sex. Everything Niall really doesn’t need right now. It’s only been since the hiatus that Niall has let his guard down a bit and let himself accept he doesn’t just like girls. It took a long time for him to figure this out about himself because he’s still mostly attracted to girls but there is a certain type of man out there that he’s very attracted to and Harry Styles is that type. Tall, muscular, and hot. Fuck.

Before he lets his thoughts run wild and ends up in the toilet for a quiet wank, Niall clears his throat and says, “Did you hear any of the music while you were walking around?”

Harry pursed his lips and shrugged, “Sure but like I said, I wasn’t focused on that so I just heard noise really. That and some of the things your female fans would like to do to you. While quite filthy, none of it was illegal so I didn’t deem them a  
risk.”

Niall’s eyes widen and he splutters on his tea, coughing and smacking himself on the chest, “Oh my God!”

“Alright?” Harry asked, an amused look on his face. For the first time, Niall was seeing a sort of smile on this man’s face and even though he was currently choking he couldn’t seem to look away, “Do you need water?”

Niall shook his head and smacked himself on the chest one last time before speaking in a strained voice, “No. I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Harry shrugged again and went back to reading his book, a barely there smirk still on his face that made Niall want to smack him and be fucked by him all at the same time. Jesus Christ. He needed help. He really did. Actually, what he really needed to do was get up and take his tea back to his bunk but of course he doesn’t do that. Oh no. He decides to open his mouth again and keep talking, “Do you like music?”

Harry lifted his head again and looked at Niall, “Are there people who don’t?”

“Probably,” Niall shrugged one shoulder, “What do you like?”

Harry pursed his lips again and looked like he was thinking about it a bit before he spoke, “I’m not fussy. I guess what I listen to a lot of is what I grew up listening to with my Dad. He’d usually put Pink Floyd or Fleetwood Mac on when we were in the car. Good, honest music. Can never go wrong with that really.”

Niall knows his face probably lit up when Harry mentioned Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac but he doesn’t care. He loves talking music, especially when it’s bands that he loves and maybe if he and Harry have something in common things won’t be so awkward. “I agree. Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles are my favourite bands. My Dad played their music all the time when I was a kid. When he got tickets to an Eagles concert he took me with him even though I was only four. I was old enough that I’m able to remember a lot of it, though, and I’ll probably never forget it.”

Harry sat on the couch, cocooned in his blanket and nodding his head thoughtfully, “Never got the chance to go to a concert but I like The Eagles too. Also The Stones. Guess I like a lot of the old stuff. I’m not really too familiar with pop music today. Where I’ve been for the past ten years, music isn’t really a big thing.”

Niall swallows thickly, not really sure what to say to that. He’s pretty sure he heard someone say one time that you shouldn’t ask a soldier about his or her time at war. Or maybe it was that you shouldn’t ask a soldier if they ever killed anyone. He’s not too sure at the minute so he decides not to say anything at all about that last statement, “Well, um, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac are my biggest musical influences. If you like them you might like my music. If you can, maybe you’d like to listen to a bit of the show from backstage later tonight in Toronto. You don’t have to, of course, but - “ Niall shrugged, not really knowing what else to say.

Harry stares at him with that intense look again, making Niall squirm inside, before he says, “We’ll see,” and goes back to reading his book.

Niall raises his eyebrows and sits there in silence for another five minutes while he finishes his tea. Apparently Harry isn’t much for conversation since he sits there reading his book like Niall isn’t even in the room. That was fine by Niall. He wasn’t going to keep sitting there and force Harry to talk to him. If the man wanted to be on this tour and not talk to anybody then that’s his problem.

Niall stood up and brought his empty cup over to the sink where he washed it quickly and put it back up into the cupboard. He turned around to look at Harry again and found him in the same position, completely engrossed in his book, so Niall didn’t even bother to say goodnight - just walked back to the bunks and climbed back in to go to sleep.

  
~~~

  
Niall had a few interviews with radio stations and tv shows backstage at Massey Hall in Toronto. They went the same as normal except for the fact that he could see Harry out of the corner of his eye, standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest and looking intense as always. When he’s done one interview and waiting for the next person to come in, Niall takes a minute to try and subtly study Harry. He’s not what Niall would expect of a bodyguard or a former Military man. The physique, yes. Broad shoulders, large biceps, ripped torso and thick, muscular thighs. That’s all what Niall would expect but he wasn’t expecting someone so...fashionable. Niall is pretty sure the scuffed boots on Harry’s feet are Yves Saint Laurent and the coral coloured shirt he is wearing with those sinful black skinny jeans is definitely Gucci. He’s also wearing rings on every finger but his ring finger and a scarf tied loosely around his neck. Oh and the sunglasses he currently had sitting on top of his head in his fluffy hair - it was like he was getting ready to go down a catwalk somewhere. Maybe that was part of the plan though, because nobody would look at Harry and think Special Forces.

The next interviewer walks in and Niall’s attention is brought back to his job and away from Harry. Once he’s done his interviews he goes back to his dressing room to hang out with his band and everyone else before it’s time for the show to start. Harry isn’t there. Niall made it clear he is welcome but Harry prefers to stay out in the hall where he can walk around and keep an eye on things. Niall is a bit annoyed by it but he keeps it to himself because he knows he’s only annoyed because he’s attracted to the bloody prick and wants to stare at his attractive body some more. It’s ridiculous and not what Niall needs right now. He’s perfectly happy focusing on his career right now. He’s not looking for a relationship or even a friend with benefits. Right now he’s just having the time of his life traveling with great friends and getting to do what he loves and what makes him happy. He cannot lose his cool now just because sex on legs joined the tour. No. Nuh uh. No way.

So he tries to get his mind off of Harry. He’s only known the older man for twenty-four hours. How hard can it be?

Pretty hard he finds out later. He’s on stage, having the time of his life as usual, half way through his set when it’s time to sing ‘Flicker’. It’s the song Niall is most proud of. The song that gives him goosebumps every time he sings it. It gets him emotional and he feels a certain electricity in the air every time he sings it. He’s at the end of the first chorus when he looks down at the barrier in front of the fans who are standing. In front of it and off to the side so he isn’t blocking anybody’s view is Harry and he’s watching Niall perform with the same intensity in his eyes that’s always there. Niall is surprised to see him there and their eyes meet right when Niall sings the line ‘please don’t leave’. In that moment he feels goosebumps cover his whole body and the look in Harry’s eyes nearly makes him mess up on his guitar. He’s not sure how he pulled it together and kept going but he did, completely aware for the rest of the night that Harry was right there - watching him with those eyes.

He was wired after that, full of adrenaline from the show but also from the look he had shared with Harry during ‘Flicker’. Something passed between them in that moment. Something Niall has never felt before and he can’t explain it, doesn’t know how to put it into words. It happened, though, and Niall had no idea what to do about it.

“Alright then! What are we puttin’ on first?” Gerry yells when they all get in the dressing room after the show. They do this after every show. Put on some tunes, drink some beer, and just unwind and let the adrenaline wear off a bit before they get on the bus or go to the hotel. Niall doesn’t have a beer every night. He’s taking it easy while on tour, keeping his voice in good shape and all that. Getting drunk every night would only catch up to him eventually and his shows would suffer for it. Niall’s too much of a perfectionist for that. He wants everything perfect for his fans. He is where he is thanks to them. They deserve his best.

Someone turns on some music and it’s Springsteen blaring out. Connor has grabbed Louis and they’re dancing around the room, beer splashing out of their bottles and dripping onto the floor. Gerry has his drumsticks in his hand and is playing along with the song on the table in front of him, while Gavin has got John engrossed in what looks to be an interesting conversation. There’s other people around too, some of Gavin’s people, Niall’s manager that travels with him everywhere and looks after everything for Harry and Richard, Niall’s assistant, Tara and her friend, and they’re all being loud and having fun like usual but Niall can’t seem to get into it tonight.

Eventually they all move out to the buses. They’re driving overnight to Boston instead of waiting until morning. When he gets on board he takes a seat on the bench in the kitchen area next to Gerry and takes out his phone to look through his messages. He thinks he might take some videos of himself and the lads for Instagram. The fans seem to enjoy it and Niall likes to show them what he’s up to. He doesn’t mind letting them into this part of his life. It’s his romantic life he keeps very private. Everything else is fair game. He’s got nothing to hide.

Niall replies to a text from his cousin Willie first, then goes into the Twitter app. He hears the bus door close and the engine start up but he’s startled and jumps in his seat when Gerry yells out, “Harry! Have a look at this, mate!”

Harry walks into the kitchen area and sits at the table across from Niall and Gerry, taking Gerry’s phone and looking at it, “Okay? This is a very cute dog but why am I looking at it?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Niall groans, immediately getting cut off by Gerry before he can say more.

“You’re looking at it, Harry, because we’re trying to get the boss here to get a puppy on tour. He keeps refusing so we need reinforcements,” Gerry says, taking his phone back from Harry.

Niall looks at Gerry beside him, “I’ll give ya reinforcements. You’ll get me foot up your arse if ya don’t give it up.”

Harry shakes his head, an amused look on his face, “Sorry, mate, can’t help you with that. I like dogs just as much as the next person but I’m more of a cat person. They’re quiet, independent and loners. Like me.”

Gerry’s eyes light up and Niall knows exactly what he’s going to say before he even says it, “Oh! We can get a cat then!”

“We’re not gettin’ any animals so you can feck off, Ger. It’s not fair to keep an animal cooped up on a bus all the time. Besides there’s no room. We’re trippin’ over each other already. Don’t drag Harry into this now,” Niall says, getting up and walking into the living area to sit on one of the couches next to Jake.

“Alright then ya cranky bastard,” Gerry said, making Niall roll his eyes, “Anyone up for a game of cards? Anyone but Niall because someone pissed in his cornflakes this morning. How about you, Harry?”

“No thanks,” Harry politely refused as he stood up from the table, “Still adjusting to the time zone. I’m heading to bed. Goodnight everyone.”

Everyone said goodnight and Niall watched as Harry walked back toward the back of the bus where the bunks were. When he was out of sight, Connor, Mark, and John all went to sit at the table to play poker with Gerry, while Jake stayed on the couch next to Niall trying to decide what he wanted to watch on tv.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Jake asks after a minute, shuffling out of his seat to put a DVD in.

Niall frowned and looked up from his phone, “Who?”

“Harry,” Jake shrugged, “Seems quiet and he keeps to himself a lot.”

“He’s ex-Military isn’t he?” Louis says from the other couch where he’s sitting with Basil, “He’s probably been through shit we couldn’t even imagine. I think that would make me keep to myself too.”

“Lads,” Basil looks up from where he was scrolling through his phone, “I’ve talked to Harry a bit. He’s a good lad and he’s served his country with honours. Let’s not gossip about him, yeah?”

Jake and Louis both nodded, looking a little chagrined before they went back to what they were doing. Niall brought his eyes back to his phone but he wasn’t really seeing anything. His mind was on Harry again. Besides the fact he likes The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd - Niall hasn’t really learned anything about him. That was unusual because Niall was the type of person who was practically best mates with someone five minutes after meeting them. He could engage anyone in a conversation without even trying. Not Harry, though, and for some reason that was really bothering him.

For the next couple of hours, Niall managed to fake it with his friends. He joined in conversations, sang along to songs, laughed when everyone else did. He posted videos on Instagram, liked some tweets, answered some work e-mails, then when he felt he did his duty he went to bed at one in the morning. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants, and climbed into his bunk, making sure to plug his phone in to charge. He got comfortable and was about to pull the curtain over on his bunk but he paused and stared across at Harry’s bunk. The curtain was closed and Harry was probably fast asleep by now. Niall bit down on his lip and shook his head, forcing his eyes away from Harry’s bunk and closing the curtain on his own. As he drifted off to sleep, all he could see was Harry’s eyes and how they looked when their eyes met during ‘Flicker’.

  
~~~

  
Niall loves coming to Boston. The large Irish community here and the lively Irish pubs always made him feel like he was at home. It’s why he always takes a lot of pictures and selfies so he can show his Dad all the places he goes to.

This time around it isn’t the pubs that’s got him excited. They _did_ hang out at a pub when they got to Boston and checked into the hotel the night before the show but no, that wasn’t what had Niall excited. Niall was excited because he was getting to go inside the legendary Fenway Park and because there was nothing going on there that day nothing was off limits. He could walk where he wanted to and see what he wanted. Baseball may not be really popular back home but Niall enjoyed the sport and he was certainly very aware who Babe Ruth was and that he played in this very stadium over one hundred years ago. He is absolutely buzzing to be here and he’s so hyper he feels like he drank seven cups of coffee this morning.

“Holy shit, lads,” Niall stands right at home plate and looks around him, his mouth hanging open in awe, “Can ya believe where we’re standin’? Can you imagine the thousands of brilliant games that have been played here over the years? The playoffs and all that? Fuck.”

Niall heard chuckling and looked to the side to see his good friend and photographer Conor snapping pictures of him with his camera. Niall isn’t even going to give him shit about it because these are the moments Niall wants caught on camera for the rest of his life. He’ll share some on Instagram but most of them will be just for him and his close friends and family, memories of one of the many great places he gets to visit as part of his job.

“There’s been some sick gigs here over the years,” John says as he looks around, not quite as in awe as Niall, “Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney. Can you imagine playing here, boss?”

Niall snorted and began to walk around toward the outfield, “Not a chance. The only way I’d be playin’ here is if it’s with the lads. We always played at Gillette Stadium when we came here but maybe when we do our comeback we can play Fenway instead.”

“Never know,” Gerry says, coming up behind Niall and playfully lifting him off his feet, “The Backstreet Boys played here this past July. With Florida Georgia Line. I reckon if they can do it twenty something years after they formed then One D can do it.”

“Gerry!!” Niall yelled through his laughter, “Put me down before I kick ya in the nuts. Hey! Where’s me bodyguard at anyway? This is abuse!”

“Let me know when there’s a real threat and I’d be glad to help you out,” Harry’s slow, deep, drawl sounds from somewhere to Niall’s right. Niall struggles to turn his head enough to see where he is and sees him walking along the grass looking as calm and bored as always. Infuriating!

“Gerry for fuck’s sake! Seriously put me down!” Niall yelled, kicking his legs around like a crazy person. Gerry yelps and puts Niall down, Niall turning around to see him grabbing his shin, “Serves ya right ya fucker!”

Gerry gives him the finger and Niall takes off running across the outfield, cackling like a maniac. He felt so light and carefree being here in this historic stadium on such a beautiful day. He just wanted to run and run and run some more - which is why he asked if there might be a football around so they could play a quick scrimmage of footie.

To Niall’s delight, one of the staff at Fenway was able to locate a football and brought it out along with some pylons to use as goal posts. When they were all set up they started to put small teams together with Jake asking Harry if he was going to play.

“Nope. I’ll just stand off here to the side, thanks,” Harry said, holding up a hand, “If I play I’ll only spend most of my time tripping over the ball instead of kicking it.”

Everyone’s heads spun around to face Harry and they all looked at him with surprised looks. Gerry, of course, is the one brave enough to say what they’re all thinking, “You can’t kick a ball without tripping over it yet the Royal Navy let you have a gun and fight in a war?”

“Yes,” Harry says, giving Gerry a deadpan look, “But don’t worry. I haven’t killed anyone who didn’t deserve it...yet.”

Everyone is completely silent, nobody having a clue if Harry is being serious or trying to tell a joke. He doesn’t crack a smile and his sunglasses are hiding his eyes so it’s impossible to tell. After a minute goes by, Niall decides it’s gotten awkward enough - at least for him - and claps his hands together, rounding everyone up and making sure teams were even.

They were able to mess around out there for forty-five minutes before it was time to go back to the hotel. Niall wanted to shower before going to the venue for soundcheck and meet n greet. As they were leaving Fenway Park to get into their cars, Niall all of a sudden had a strange feeling come over him and the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He turned around out of instinct to see if maybe some fans were coming up behind him to ask for pictures but only Harry was behind him. Harry had his sunglasses on top of his head now and they locked eyes, Harry seeming to easily read his expression. He moved even closer to Niall and curled his large hand around Niall’s elbow, making him pick up the pace a bit so they could quickly get to the car. Once they were inside, Harry murmured something to the driver then they were headed back to the hotel.

 

~~~

  
Niall had only been in his room for five minutes when there was a knock on the adjoining rooms door. He knew it was Harry. Every time they would be staying in a hotel it was decided they would have rooms next to each other so Harry could easily get to Niall if anything should happen. Niall had scoffed at that when Richard told him but now that he has an uneasy feeling he’s quite glad Harry is right there.

“Come in, Harry,” Niall calls out, sitting down on his bed and running a hand through his hair.

The door opened and Harry walked in with a serious look on his face, closing the door behind him, “In the future always ask who it is so that you’re sure it’s me before you say come in.”

Niall sighed, rolled his eyes, and threw his hands up in the air, “Who else would it be, Harry? It’s your room. Only you have a key. I saw you go into the room five minutes ago. Can we not do this now?”

Harry gave him a long look then curtly nodded his head, “Okay. Tell me about what happened back at that stadium. When we were walking to the car.”

Niall glanced up at Harry, his hands suddenly sweating. He ran them down over his thighs, wiping them on his jeans, “I don’t know. Probably nothing.”

Harry did what he always does - gave Niall a long look before he walked over to the desk against the wall and grabbed the chair, pulling it over in front of Niall and sitting down. He leaned forward and laid a hand on Niall’s knee, his fingers gently pressing into Niall’s leg, “Don’t do that, Niall. Don’t dismiss it and doubt yourself. I’m here for one reason and one reason only - to keep you safe and I take my job very seriously. I can’t do it without you, though. I need your help. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Niall sat frozen and staring into Harry’s eyes. This is as close as he’s ever been to Harry and the longest he’s ever looked into his eyes. The thing is - they’re breathtaking. Such a warm, vibrant green with flecks of golden yellow and Niall is lost in them. He’s lost in them and his heart is beating faster and all he can think about is leaning in and capturing Harry’s plump, pink lips with his own.

“Niall?” Harry interrupts his thoughts, “Can you do that? Can you trust me?”

Niall snaps out of it and nods his head, licking his lips before he speaks, “Yes. I do trust you.”

“Good,” Harry nodded and let go of Niall’s leg, sitting back a bit. “Now tell me about earlier. Something was off. I could see it on your face.”

Niall swallowed and nodded, “Yeah. I mean - I didn’t see anything or hear anything, I just - I just got this feeling all of a sudden and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I wasn’t going to bring it up because it just seemed silly but - “

Harry cut him off, shaking his head, “No. You should bring it up. Even when it seems silly and you think you’re overreacting. That’s where trusting me comes in. No matter what it is I need you to know you can tell me and I’ll always take you seriously, especially with this because I had the same feeling as you, Niall, and I spent ten years at war trusting my instincts so I don’t doubt them now. I got the feeling of being watched. You probably didn’t think of it that way because you’re so used to being watched by millions of people but that’s the uneasy feeling you were having, Niall. Your instincts were right and going forward I need you to always trust them.”

Niall sat stunned with Harry watching him carefully for God knows how long before he could speak again, “I don’t know what to say. The thought of that lunatic being close to me and watching me is...really fucking scary.”

Harry looked sympathetic and Niall noticed his hand twitch on his lap as if he were going to reach for Niall but stopped himself at the last second. It was eliciting all sorts of feelings in Niall - this new, softer side of Harry - but he tried his best to push those feelings aside because what he was feeling the most right now was fear and that was pretty much keeping him preoccupied at the moment.

“We don’t know anything for certain, Niall. Maybe somebody in a nearby building was watching us. It wasn’t necessarily him,” Harry said reassuringly, “It’s okay to be scared, though. You don’t ever have to hide that from me. I know what it’s like to be scared for your life. If you want to put on a brave face around your friends and family that’s fine but around me you don’t have to.”

Niall took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, making eye contact with Harry and nodding, “Thank you,” Niall paused and could feel himself blushing a little at his next words, “Today, when I got that weird feeling and I turned around...it felt good seeing you there. I felt a little better. So thank you.”

Something seemed to shift in Harry then. At least that’s how Niall saw it. Like he became softer maybe? Or fond? Niall couldn’t be sure. He liked it though. He liked it a lot.

“You’re welcome, Niall. I’m glad I could help. The police...they’ll get this guy and until they do I’ll be here. You have my word,” Harry said, staring right into Niall’s eyes when he said it.

Niall believed him. Knew that this man in front of him is one hundred percent a man of his word. It shouldn’t affect Niall the way it does, shouldn’t make his heart beat faster or make his stomach swoop. It really shouldn’t, but it does and Niall isn’t quite sure what to do with that so he simply nods for now, tells Harry ‘thank you’ again, then the two men part to get ready to head to the venue.

 

~~~

Despite whatever moment Niall and Harry shared in Niall’s hotel room in Boston - nothing had changed. They moved on to Washington, DC, then on to Miami with Niall doing his interviews and shows like normal and Harry following him around everywhere with the same neutral look on his face. They didn’t really say much to each other and while on the bus Harry went off to his bunk alone most of the time, rather than stay in the common area with everyone else listening to music, playing games or watching the telly.

After Miami they had to take a quick trip to Nashville for the CMA awards before heading back to Florida to play Orlando this time. Niall played a bit of golf after their plane touched down and somehow managed to twist his knee a bit, making his night before the awards a miserable one.

It’s after one in the morning and he’s still awake with his leg propped up on a pillow and an ice pack on his knee. It hurt too much for him to sleep so he was watching boring, corny films on the telly in hopes he’d doze off. No such luck so far and now he’s realized that after his trip to the toilet he’s gotten back on the bed and made himself comfortable _without_ getting the remote where he left it on the edge of the nightstand. Cursing under his breath he tilts his body to try and reach it without dislodging his leg. He’s almost got it when he loses his balance and rolls right off the bed like a sack of potatoes - letting out a loud shout in the process.

Niall is face down on the floor, biting into his lip hard enough to make it bleed because of the pain shooting through his leg, when there’s a loud bang that startles him so bad his body jumps a foot off the floor. He turns himself over in time to see Harry in nothing but a pair of tight black boxers and holding a gun out in front of him as his eyes look everywhere around the room.

“What’s happened?” Harry asks him, his voice remaining perfectly calm, “Were you attacked? Is there someone still in the room?”

Niall’s heart is beating out of his chest and his knee is screaming in pain. He pushes himself up into a sitting position and looks at Harry like he’s gone mad, “There’s nobody in the bloody room, for fuck’s sake! I wasn’t attacked!”

Harry turns back toward him and Niall immediately holds his hands up in the air in front of him, “Jesus Christ! Will you put that fecking thing down? There’s nobody here but us. I fell off me god damn bed. No need to fucking shoot me.”

Harry brings the gun down by his side and Niall finally gets to look at him properly - all of him. Those boxers are hiding nothing and Niall can literally feel his mouth go dry as he sees the size of Harry’s cock. Images flash through his head of him on his knees, pulling the boxers down and letting Harry’s thick cock out, of his hand wrapping around it and his mouth stretching to take Harry down. Holy mother of fuck he needs to stop these thoughts now! Right the fuck now! He’s not exactly wearing a whole lot more than Harry right now and he’d rather not have a boner to hide once he eventually gets himself up off the floor.

“What happened?” Harry finally asked him as he stared down at Niall on the floor, “How did you fall off the bed?”

Niall sighs and reaches for the ice pack on the floor beside him, “I have messed up knees. Got one fixed in twenty fourteen but the other one is still bad. I twisted it at golf earlier and was icing it. I left the remote on the edge of the table and was reaching for it when I lost my balance.”

Harry seems to assess the situation then steps closer and offers his free hand to Niall, “I’ll help you up.”

Niall glares at the very real gun in Harry’s other hand before looking up at Harry, “Is that bloody thing loaded?”

Harry lifts the gun, looks at it, then pops the clip, “Not anymore.”

“Not anymore,” Niall mimics him, rolling his eyes at Harry, “Are you sure?”

Harry points the gun at himself and pulls the trigger, just about sending Niall into cardiac arrest, “Quite sure.”

“Jesus Christ,” Niall mutters, holding one hand to his forehead, “You won’t have to worry about some stalker killing me. You’re going to do that all on your own! Don’t these guns have like - like - one in the chamber or something? I could have just witnessed you blow your own head off!”

Harry continues to stare down at him, his face giving nothing away about how he’s feeling, “I spent ten years in the British Navy. Special Forces. I think I know how to work a gun. Now - would you like a hand up?”

Niall begrudgingly takes the hand Harry offers him and let’s the man pull him up onto his feet. He helps Niall get situated on the bed again, putting a pillow under his foot and handing him the ice pack back for his knee. The whole time all Niall can do his stare at the bulge in Harry’s boxers and have explicit thoughts about the cock tucked away in there. He’s definitely going to end up having a wank after this. A quiet one so Harry doesn’t hear him and come charging in again.

“Would you like to touch it?” Harry asks, snapping Niall out of his thoughts.

“ _What_???” Niall chokes out, his eyes bulging out of his head. He can feel his cheeks warming up as his whole body turns red with embarrassment. He’s caught me staring at his cock! Holy fuck!

“The gun,” Harry says, holding it up, “It’s not loaded and sometimes it helps people to see one up close. Makes it less scary.”

Niall’s whole body relaxes in relief and he eyes the gun in Harry’s hand warily, “You’re sure I can’t shoot meself or you by accident?”

“Completely sure,” Harry says, holding it out to Niall, “There are no bullets in it. I promise.”

Niall decides to take it, his fingers brushing Harry’s as they make the exchange from hand to hand. Every cliche thing he’s ever made fun of happened when he felt a shiver run through his body and his stomach swoop from Harry’s touch. He wants to laugh at the fact this is happening to him but he managed to keep his cool and examine the gun in his hand. He runs his fingers over it and moves it up and down in his hand. He lifts his head and looks at Harry, “It’s heavier than I expected.”

Harry nods and takes a seat on the desk chair he pulled over by the bed, “Yeah and that’s without the clip. It’s solid. Not much kick back. I like that for this kind of thing. Probably will never have to use it but it’s nice to have just in case.”

Niall turned it over in his hands, pointing it at the wall and pulling the trigger a few times, “I never see you carrying it.”

The trace of a smile appears on Harry’s lips and his eyes seem to shine with amusement, “Good. You’re not supposed to. Nobody should know I have it. If this guy tries anything it’s best he feel safe and confident. He’ll waltz right on in and I’ll be there waiting for him.”

Niall hands the gun back to Harry and clears his throat. He definitely doesn’t want to be talking about this right now. Especially not when he feels self conscious sitting here on his bed in a t-shirt and boxers, “So,” He starts, “Were you asleep just now? Sorry if I woke you.”

Harry lifts a shoulder in a shrug, “I was. I’m always on guard when I’m asleep. It’s how I was trained. I heard you shout so I reacted. No worries.”

Niall lifts his good leg up to his chest and rests his chin on his knee, the scar from his surgery no longer an angry red but a pale pink, “You’re always on guard when you sleep? Really? How do you get any decent sleep?”

Harry shrugs again, lifting his hand to scratch at the scruff on his chin, “I sleep well enough. After so many years of sleeping in the worst places and practically with one eye open you get used to it. Plus, like I said before - I’m trained for it. When you train as hard as we did in the military, it’s not something you forget.”

Niall is silent for awhile, taking in what Harry said and trying to imagine what it must have been like wherever he served. Niall doesn’t even know and is too afraid to ask. When he looks up, Harry is looking at the wall above Niall’s head, looking like he’s a million miles away. Maybe he is. Maybe he’s remembering one of those missions he and others trained so hard for. Missions that the public so rarely hear about but probably end up thwarting thousands of terrorist attacks around the world.

Suddenly, as Niall continues to look at Harry, he feels the urge to say thank you for every sacrifice he’s made for his country -for the world - during his ten years of service. He doesn’t get to, though, because Harry snaps out of whatever trance he was in, clears his throat, and stands up. He puts the chair back by the desk and nods stiffly at Niall. “It’s late. Since you’re alright I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Goodnight.”

Niall sits paralyzed on the bed, watching Harry walk toward the door that joins their rooms together. It’s not until Harry is nearly through the door that he finds his voice and calls out, “Harry?”

Harry stops and turns to face Niall. The minute their eyes meet, green on blue, Niall’s heart skips a beat and he almost forgets to speak, “Thank you. For - you heard me shout and thought I might be in trouble. You didn’t hesitate to come help me. I know you’ll probably say it’s your job but that doesn’t make me any less grateful yeah?”

Harry stares at him for a minute, his eyes seemingly penetrating right through to Niall’s soul. Finally he nods, the trace of a smile on his lips, “You’re welcome, Niall. Sleep well.”

As soon as the door completely closes behind Harry, Niall falls back against the pillows and let’s out the breath he was apparently holding. Sleep well? Niall laughs a self deprecating laugh and shakes his head. Not a fucking chance.

  
~~~

  
Harry is in awe. There really isn’t any other word for it. He’s standing backstage at the CMA awards, watching Niall as he performs his song with Maren Morris, and after only knowing the man for a week and a half, Harry is in complete awe of him. Everywhere Niall goes his charming personality, his exuberance, his smile, his sense of humour, his _laugh_ , has people gravitating to him. They flock to him like bees to honey and bask in his happiness, the smile never leaving their face as long as he’s in the room. It’s remarkable and as Harry watches now from side stage he realizes he’s no different than anybody else. Niall is like the sun and Harry is like a man who hasn’t seen the sun in years.

Even now, as the realization hits him, he can’t look away from Niall. His smile is huge as he sings to Maren across from him, his body swaying to the music as he strums heartily on his guitar. A quick glance at the crowd shows they’re completely into it - Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban smiling and swaying along with Niall in the front row. It’s incredible how Niall can completely command the attention of an arena full of country music stars and fans. It’s not even his genre, yet the place is alive, people are singing along, caught up in the exuberance of Niall Horan.

When the song ends, Niall and Maren come off the stage and the moment they’re out of sight of the crowd they’re cheering and hugging each other, jumping up and down like kids. Niall is full of curse words as he tells anyone who will listen how fucking great that felt, standing up there with Maren and singing a song he wrote to a bunch of people he greatly admired in the music world. Maren laughs and keeps telling him, “Welcome to country music, Niall. We’re so happy to have you! Nashville loves you!”

Niall’s band is there too, congratulating Niall and Maren. Gerry’s got a bottle of champagne from somewhere and is popping it open for a quick toast before Niall and Maren head back out to their seats for the rest of the show. The smile on Niall’s face is wide and genuine, lighting up yet another room and Harry likes it - he likes it a lot.

“Harry!” Gerry calls out, holding up the bottle of champagne, “Come on! Have a taste!”

Harry smirks and rolls his eyes. Gerry knows he isn’t going to drink - not while he’s working. The Irishman asks anyway, though, because that’s what Irish people do. If they’re having fun they want everyone around them to be having fun too. Harry holds his hand up and shakes his head, going back to staring at Niall. He looks incredible is the thing. Both outfits he has worn tonight have been perfectly suited to him and they both did something to Harry’s gut when he saw Niall in them.

Harry quickly shifts his gaze away and surveys the area instead - which is exactly what he’s supposed to be doing anyway. The fact that Niall Horan turned out to be sexy, rugged, and smaller than Harry, shouldn’t be affecting Harry this way. Just because those are three things Harry loves about a man doesn’t mean he should start panting like a dog and forget what the fuck he’s even doing here in the first place.

After a few minutes things wind down. Maren goes to change, her fiancé heading off with her, the band goes off somewhere to keep drinking since they were done for the night, and Niall is supposed to be changing back into his suit as well but instead he’s walking over to Harry, the smile and look on his face making Harry feel a bit weak, “Hey. Did you watch the performance. What did you think?”

Harry stands up straight and clears his throat, forcing his face to remain neutral. He wasn’t about to start making heart eyes at a straight man. He did enough of that in high school and has no desire to relive it. He could admit he liked the performance though. No harm in that, “I did watch, yeah. It was great. You and Maren Morris seemed like you were really having fun. Looked like the audience was having fun too.”

Niall’s smile somehow became wider and he was absolutely beaming at Harry now. Immediately a lyric from one of Niall’s own songs pops into Harry’s head _you smile back at me and your face lit up the sun_ and Harry has to take a minute to compose himself. Niall smiling at him shouldn’t make lyrics pop into his head. That’s not what he’s here for. He can’t be attracted to anyone right now let alone his employer. He has too many issues he knows he hasn’t dealt with properly. Letting anyone into his life right now would be selfish and reckless on his part. It’s best for him to remain on his own for now.

“I’m happy you liked it,” Niall is saying when Harry tunes back in, “It was such a rush looking out in the audience and seeing people like Alan Jackson and Reba listening to my song and looking like they enjoyed it. I was so hyped up I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from jumping off that platform and doing the splits or something.”

Harry was completely caught off guard by that comment and a loud burst of laughter escaped him, his loud squawk more like, and he watched helpless as Niall’s eyes widened and he began laughing his infectious laughter. Harry smacked a hand over his own mouth but now that Niall was laughing he couldn’t seem to stop himself from laughing. By the time Niall’s tour manager walked up to them a few minutes later, both he and Niall were holding their stomach’s and wiping tears from the corners of their eyes.

“Right,” Niall giggles while Sam watches on in amusement, “I was supposed to change and head back to me seat. I’ll see you after the show, right Harry?”

Harry smiles and straightens the blazer he’s wearing with his brand new black skinny jeans, “Yeah. Wherever you are I am right?”

Niall grins, their eyes meeting for a long moment before Niall finally turns around and heads off to the dressing room. Harry is left alone and a bit out of sorts by it all. Fuck.

  
~~~

  
In Orlando, the day after the CMA awards, Niall finishes up an interview for The Golf Channel about his Golf company then heads to the backstage area where everyone is hanging out. He sees Harry in the hallway talking to Ellie and he can’t help but let his eyes wander over Harry’s body. Niall hasn’t missed how incredible Harry’s long, toned legs looked in his tight black jeans last night and he’s certainly not missing how great they look today in an equally tight pair of jeans - these ones with holes in the knees.

Walking into the dressing room, Niall curses under his breath, “Fuck’s sake. He’d have to look fucking sinful in a pair of jeans wouldn’t he?”

“Didn’t know you swung that way, Bossman,” Gerry says from over on the couch, making Niall jump and nearly drop his phone on the floor.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Ger!” Niall lifted a hand to his chest and took a deep breath, “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

“Apparently,” Gerry looks amused as he studies Niall, “What’s this now? Gettin’ all hot and bothered are ya? I’m gonna take a guess and say our dearest Harry is the cause. You certainly don’t fuckin’ fancy any of us idiots in the band.”

Niall snorts and throws himself down on the couch next to Gerry, “Me skin crawls just thinkin’ about it. Fuck sakes.”

Gerry elbows Niall in the ribs playfully, then they’re quiet for about ten minutes before Gerry speaks again, “You can trust me ya know? Didn’t know ya fancied fella’s. I might have tried to set you up. Discreetly of course.”

Niall groaned and tipped his head back against the couch, “Please don’t. I’ve met your friends.”

“Fuck off!” Gerry laughs, making Niall laugh a little as well, “So am I right? Harry?”

Niall rolls his eyes and reaches for his guitar. He always has to have something in his hands to keep him occupied. He strums a few chords then looks at Gerry, “I don’t fancy him. I barely know him. I just...appreciate how he looks in a pair of jeans.”

Gerry snorts, “Is that all?”

Niall gave him an incredulous look, “It’s enough!”

Gerry hums and picks up his drum sticks from the table, twirling them around in his hands, “Harry’s a good lad. You could do worse.”

Niall sighed exasperatedly, “Gerry. I’m not trying to _do_ anything.”

Gerry abruptly stopped twirling his drumsticks and gave Niall a look, “Why not?”

Niall stopped strumming his guitar and looked at Gerry like he was daft, “What the fuck kind of question is that? He’s working for me as my bodyguard, he is most likely straight, I barely know him, and I’m not even out. Is that enough reasons for you?”

“I don’t know about the ‘most likely straight’ part, Skipper. Harry definitely has a penchant for very loud and colourful shirts and glittery boots,” Gerry says.

“Gerry, you’re supposed to be the older one on this tour. How am I the one sittin’ here talkin’ to you like you’re a child?” Niall shakes his head, “The clothes Harry wears don’t make him Gay, straight, or anything else. You just found out I like men as well as women. Have I worn anything that would have made you think I like men?”

Gerry thought for a minute then laughed, “Touché. Hey. Can I ask you something personal? You don’t have to answer.”

“Go on then,” Niall answers.

“I’ve known you a long time now. You never once let on that you’re interested in men. Is this something you’ve only recently figured out about yourself and maybe that’s why you don’t want to do anything about this attraction you have for Harry?”

Niall didn’t answer right away. He wanted to think about it for a minute because he thinks Gerry is probably right - a large part of his hesitation is because he just doesn’t know what to do. He has limited experience with men. It’s all still new to him. He’s self conscious enough with women so he’d probably completely fuck it up with a man. “I guess you could say this is all new to me. I joined the band when I was sixteen and from that moment on, all the way up until the hiatus, we were non stop. I probably found a guy attractive here and there but we were so busy I blocked it out. I was able to easily forget about it and make nothing of it. It wasn’t until months into the hiatus when I saw this really fit guy that I was able to actually sit down and think about what that really meant. I’m still figuring it out to be honest. I think I’m still more into women but there’s a type I have with men and...”

“...and Harry is that type?” Gerry finishes for him, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah,” Niall said, his voice barely above a whisper, “Physically anyway. I don’t know about anything else. We’ve talked a bit but he doesn’t really offer up much information on himself.”

Gerry nodded, “I noticed that. I still like him though. We’ve talked a bit. Nothing serious. Mostly about music. He’s got good taste and you know that goes a long way in my book.”

Niall laughed, feeling a bit lighter now that he’s opened up a bit to Gerry. Hardly anybody knows about his attraction to men. A few of his close cousins and his best mate Sean. His parents or family didn’t know anything yet. It felt good to talk about though. “Look, even if I wanted something to happen with Harry, l just wouldn’t know where to start. I haven’t really had the chance to get much experience with men. Being as well known as I am I can’t just go into a gay bar and pick someone up. I’ve really only had experience with one guy and he’s a friend of Sean’s so I knew I could trust him.”

“I take it that wasn’t about finding a boyfriend and living happily ever after either. More like a bit of fooling around and see how ya like it?” Gerry asks, wiggling his eyebrows like he’s a teenager or something.

Niall blushes profusely and hides his face in his hands, “Jesus Christ. Can we end this conversation now?”

Gerry lets out a booming laugh and slaps Niall on the knee, “No problem, mate. I got me answer anyway!”

Five minutes later, when Niall thankfully feels his face go back to its normal temperature, the dressing room door opens and the rest of the band walks in along with Gavin, Tara, Ellie, and Harry.

“Niall. Darling, sweet, best boss in the world, Niall. Will you please tell Harry to let me style him?” Ellie asks, her hands folded in front of her, begging him.

Niall’s eyes grow wide and he looks to Harry who looks quite amused, “What? Why the fuck do you want to style Harry? I’m the one on stage every night. You need to focus on making me look pretty...and Jake too, so he doesn’t scare away the fans.”

“Oi!” Jake shouts over everyone’s laughter - laughter that Niall is pleased to notice includes Harry’s loud squawk, “I’m the best looking fecker on the stage every night ya cunt!”

“HA!” Gerry shouts, fixing his hat on his head, “In yer fuckin’ dreams, arsehole! We all know the fans like me best. Even more than Niall. They like my orgasm face.”

Harry snorts from over by the door and looks at Gerry gleefully, “Is that what they call that face you make when you’re playing drums? I just thought you were trying not to shit your pants.”

The whole room roared with laughter and Gavin slapped Harry on the back, thanking him for the best laugh he’s had all day. Niall watched it all happen and couldn’t help but be endeared by Harry’s big smile and the way his dimples were huge in his cheeks. Maybe it has only been a little less than two weeks since Niall met Harry but this is the first time he’s really participated in their joking around. It’s the first time Niall has seen Harry’s smile this big and his eyes this alive. It made him want to see this part of Harry a lot more.

“Jesus,” Gerry muttered when the laughter started to die down, “Now I’m wondering if every woman I’ve ever fucked thinks I look like I’m about to shit when I come.”

And that was it. The room roared with laughter again and Ellie forgot all about her quest to style Harry. If Niall spent the rest of the night picturing Harry in many different outfits from some of the best designers, well, nobody had to know but him.

 

~~~

  
The next ten days passed without any progress in catching the stalker. They left Orlando and did shows in Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, and Dallas and Harry was there for all of them, watching Niall’s back and making sure he was safe. Niall’s stalker still hadn’t been caught but he continued to post threatening rants about Niall and photos had been sent directly to Richard and Harry that could only have been taken of Niall by someone who wasn’t very far away from him. It confused Niall. If this guy knew where he was and could get close enough to take a picture from down the street - why wasn’t he trying anything? Was he just having fun messing with Niall’s head? Niall didn’t know but he was definitely getting so tired of all the bullshit.

Also over the past ten days, Harry has completely closed himself off again. It’s not that he opened up really - a couple of moments where he joined in their banter and laughed a bit doesn’t constitute opening up but Niall had felt like it was a start and he really liked seeing that little glimpse of another side to Harry. He wanted to see more of it. Whether that was a good idea or not...Niall chose not to think about.

“You ready to go, Niall?” His tour manager asked, popping his head into Niall’s hotel room where Ellie was giving Niall a final once over to make sure his suit had no wrinkles or anything on it. They were headed to the AMA’s tonight and she would not be letting him outside this room if he didn’t look perfect.

“Don’t know, Sam. Am I ready, El?” Niall asked, doing a final spin for Ellie.

Ellie scanned over him one last time and said, “You’ll do,” then gathered up her things and left the room with a cheeky wink over her shoulder. Niall laughed and turned around to get his phone and wallet from the table. Once he had them in his pockets he intended to head out into the hallway where he assumed Harry would be waiting for him but before he could, the door that joined their rooms together opened and Harry stood there, playing around with a cuff link, while Niall stared at him with his mouth hanging open.

“Hey Niall? This bloody cuff link isn’t cooperating. Can you give me a hand?” Harry asks, still not looking up as he fights with the cufflink at his wrist.

Niall stands staring at him and all he can think is how he’d like to give him a hand and a hell of a lot more right now. If he thought Harry was gorgeous before, he’s magnificent now. He’s wearing a black suit that fits him like it’s custom made in all the right places. All the right places being his broad shoulders, slim waist and thick thighs. If Niall could see Harry’s arse it would probably be the same thing. The shirt underneath the jacket is a salmon colour that fits well with Harry’s skin tone and even better for Niall the top three buttons were left open so Niall could see Harry’s chest hair peeking out. He looked incredible and Niall was having a hard time deciding if he was going to help him with the cuff link or jump him and rip his clothes off.

“Niall?” Harry finally looks up and for a moment, just a very quick moment, Niall thought he saw Harry’s eyes scan over his body before he schooled his expression again.

Niall cleared his throat and walked over to stand in front of Harry, taking Harry’s hand in his and reaching for the cufflink at the wrist. His fingers grazed over Harry’s smooth skin and his heart rate picked up. He hoped to God Harry didn’t notice. Niall could handle just about any embarrassing situation but not this - not Harry knowing that he finds him attractive and it was getting out of control with each passing day.

Niall was able to clasp the cufflink pretty quickly and straightened Harry’s sleeve when he was done. When he stepped back he cleared his throat again and said, “You look...um...it’s just...strange to see you dressed up is all.”

Harry gave him a little half smile, “Yeah. I got away with a nice pair of jeans and a blazer at that other award show. Ellie warned me it wouldn’t fly this time so she forced me into this. It fits me perfectly so I have a feeling she’s been planning this for awhile.”

Niall broke out into loud laughter, “Well, mate, she wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted to style you. If you weren’t fucking James Bond I’d say she snuck into your room and took your measurements while you were sleeping.”

Harry snorted and made his way to the door, looking at Niall over his shoulder with a smirk on his face, “James Bond? He’s got nothing on me, mate.”

Suddenly Niall’s mouth became very, very dry.

  
~~~

 

Backstage at the AMA’s, Harry rolled his eyes for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour as yet another famous person walked away from him after flirting with him. To be perfectly honest, Harry had no idea who most of them were and even if he did he found he only had eyes for Niall Horan this evening. The blue three piece suit Ellie had dressed Niall in should be illegal. The moment Harry had looked up in Niall’s hotel room and saw him in the suit he nearly gave himself away. He thinks he managed to school his reaction before Niall noticed anything but he couldn’t be completely sure.

Now Niall has changed for his performance of ‘Slow Hands’ and is standing not too far from Harry getting ready to go on stage with his band. He’s already hyped up because he won an award and now he’s laughing and joking around with the lads. It’s endearing to Harry and he can feel his heart fighting with his head, telling him Niall is perfect for him, exactly what he looks for in a person, while his head is telling him no, it’s inappropriate considering their work situation and also because Harry just isn’t fit to be with anyone right now. Some dark thoughts go through his head on a daily basis and it’s just not fair to drag someone into that. No matter how much he just wants to be normal again and have someone by his side he trusts one hundred percent. Someone to love him faults and all.

Ten minutes later, Niall is on, completely owning the stage and the song. He’s completely into it and Harry hasn’t seen anything so raw and sexy in his life. He realizes as he watches Niall that this man, in just a few short weeks, has gotten under his skin, has made him start to long for something more from another human being, something more than he’s wanted for years. It seems crazy to Harry and he doesn’t know how to deal with it so he pushes it down, composes himself, calls on all his training so that he can remain focused on the job at hand. Until this stalker is found it’s his job to protect Niall - not fall in love with him. He’d do well to remember that before someone gets hurt.

  
~~~

  
Niall is having a great laugh with his mates and some other artists at the AMA’S after party he’s attending. He’s been good about keeping the drinking to a minimum while on tour so he’s allowing himself a few drinks tonight. Nothing major since he has to fly to Arizona in the morning for a show later that night. He refuses to be anything but one hundred percent for his fans who paid to come see his show. It’s different if he has the flu or something but he won’t put on a bad show simply because he’s tired and hungover. No fucking way.

Looking around the room he spots Harry chatting with some woman Niall hasn’t seen before. He’s not surprised. Women have been flirting with Harry all night and Niall had an intense feeling of jealousy in the pit of his stomach until he realized Harry was clearly not interested in any of these people. The same thing is clear now. Harry is making it look like he’s paying attention but his eyes are constantly scanning the room and landing on Niall, making sure everything is alright. Niall has nodded at him a few times to let him know he’s fine and Harry has subtly nodded back. They were secretly communicating and it did something to Niall. It gave him a thrill inside. Knowing that Harry is there for him and constantly looking out for his safety made Niall weak inside. In learning what he likes in a man he learned pretty quickly he likes men who are bigger than him and can manhandle him a bit. Men who could easily take care of him in more ways than one. Harry is definitely his type and Niall seems to be having no trouble forgetting that Harry is there because he’s being paid to be.

As the night went on, Niall had a few beers and chatted with a bunch of industry people as well as some of his famous friends that he really only gets to see at award shows and jingle ball shows. No matter where he went or who he was talking to he was always aware of Harry and that’s why he noticed Harry visibly flinch when a waiter dropped a couple of trays that sent a loud crashing sound throughout the large room. He wanted to excuse himself from the person he was talking to and go find out what was wrong but he could tell by the frown and intense look on Harry’s face that that wouldn’t be a good idea.

So he left well enough alone but something didn’t feel right for the rest of the night. Eventually at one in the morning, Niall decided to leave and approached Harry. He’d already told his band they could stay if they wanted. They’re big boys and know their limits. If they’re suffering on the plane later that morning that’s their own problem, “Hey. I’m ready to get going.”

Harry nodded and followed Niall toward the entrance where cars were picking people up. Jake and Louis were already there waiting for them, while Conor, John and Gerry said they’d call a cab to get them back to the hotel. They all climbed into the back of the Range Rover, Niall in the back with Harry. They didn’t talk at all, just listened to Jake and Louis laughing and bantering, sharing stories about the night. Niall couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong but he didn’t know what to say or do about it so he stayed silent and left Harry to his brooding.

Once they got back to the hotel (Niall didn’t see the point of staying at his house in L.A. just for one night when he’d need to be at the hotel with his team to get ready anyway) Harry barely even said goodnight when he made sure Niall was safely in his room, then he left and went into his own room leaving Niall alone and confused.

Sighing, Niall got out of his suit and hung it up in the closet for Ellie to deal with tomorrow. He went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and climbed into the King size bed to sink into the pillows. He fooled around on Twitter for a bit, retweeting a few things about his award, then he turned out the light and went to sleep.

Sometime later, two hours according to the time on Niall’s phone, Niall was woken up by loud shouting and immediately turned on the light by the bed, his heart racing as he immediately thought his stalker must have found him. He jumped out of bed and ran to the door, looking out the peephole but seeing nothing there. He heard another shout and ran to the door that connects his room to Harry’s, knocking and calling out to Harry to see if he knew what was going on. What if the stalker did find him and Harry was fighting with him right now? What if he had a gun? What if Harry needed help? He called out to Harry one more time and when he didn’t get an answer he slowly opened the door and tiptoed into the room.

It was dark in the room but when Niall’s eyes adjusted he could make out Harry laying on his side on the bed, the blankets pooling at his waist. His upper body was bare and maybe in other circumstances Niall would stop and drool over it but right now Harry was clearly the one in distress. He was yelling in his sleep and moving around, clearly having a nightmare about something.

“Harry?” Niall walked over to the bed and turned on the lamp by the bed. “Harry? Wake up, mate.”

Harry shuddered violently in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Instead he started yelling again, “NO! I SAID NO, WALSH AND THAT’S AN ORDER! IT’S TOO DANGEROUS TO PROCEED FURTHER. STAND DOWN!”

Niall’s mouth hung open and he stared down at Harry. What was he dreaming about? Was it his time in the military? What is he supposed to do? Should he shake him awake? Yell at him?

“Harry?” Niall cleared his throat and spoke louder, “Harry can you hear me?”

“DAMNIT WALSH! I TOLD YOU TO STAND DOWN!” Harry yelled out again, “No. No no no,” Harry murmured, then, “WALSH YOUR SIX! WATCH YOUR SIX!”

“HARRY!!” Niall shouted now, terrified at what must be going on in Harry’s head. He reached out and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder, then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Harry grabbed onto his arm, flipped him over onto the bed on his back, then pinned him down underneath him. Niall screamed and fought back, pounding his fists against Harry’s chest. Harry’s weight was off of him immediately and Niall scrambled up onto his knees on the bed, gasping for breath and frantically looking around for Harry.

“Niall?” Harry is standing at the bottom of the bed, completely in shock, “What - what are you doing here? In my room? I - I could have hurt you. Oh - oh God. Oh God, did I hurt you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Niall was a bit shaken up, in shock, and very aware that he was only in his underwear on Harry’s bed but hurt? No. He didn’t feel like anything was sprained or broken or anything, “I’m fine, Harry. Not hurt anywhere.”

Harry’s hair was wild and all over the place and his eyes were frantic, “Are you sure? I-I attacked you. I flung you onto the bed like - like - “

“Harry it’s okay,” Niall walked down the bed on his knees until he got to the bottom of the bed. He reached out to touch Harry’s arm but stopped when he saw Harry flinch, “You didn’t hurt me. If anything this is my fault. You were shouting in your sleep and I grabbed onto your shoulder to wake you up. Maybe I should have left you alone and let you wake up on your own.”

Harry ran a hand through his hair and started pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. When he turned back to Niall the concern on his face was gone and had been replaced by anger, completely catching Niall off guard, “Yes! You should have left me alone! Why the fuck were you even in my room? I could have seriously hurt you! You don’t just walk into somebody’s room and sneak up on them like that!”

Niall’s head was spinning from this complete one eighty but he manages to get down off the bed and stand face to face with Harry. Maybe one day they’ll laugh about the fact they’re both in nothing but boxers but not this night. Definitely not this night, “Excuse me? I did not _sneak_ up on you. You were yelling in your sleep. You woke me up. I was terrified the guy stalking me was out in the hall trying to break in or something. Then when I knocked on your door and you didn’t answer I was afraid he was in there attacking you! What was I supposed to do? Hide under the fucking bed?”

Harry threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, “Yes! That’s exactly what you do! What if he _was_ in here and I was physically fighting with him? What if he had a knife or a gun and his fucking _target_ walked right into the room making it easy for him?”

Niall couldn’t fucking believe this, “Yeah, my fucking point exactly, Harry! What if he did have a knife or a gun and he had you pinned down or something? I was just supposed to ignore you in here yelling and sounding in distress??”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Harry yelled, “If somebody had me pinned it wouldn’t be for long! I’m trained in hand to hand combat, Niall! I know how to get out of tough spots! Besides, what the fuck did you think you were going to do if you busted in here to find some guy attacking me?”

Niall is so angry at this point he’s sure he’s red in the face and veins are popping out in his neck as he screams, “I DON’T KNOW, HARRY! I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE FUCKING DONE! HIT HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH A LAMP OR A VASE OR SOMETHING! I DON’T KNOW OKAY???”

“YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF FUCKING KILLED IS WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE!!!” Harry screamed right in his face.

Niall backed up and glared at Harry, “Ya know what? FUCK YOU! I HOPE HE DOES ATTACK YOU AND I WON’T FUCKING HELP YOU. I’LL BE TOO BUSY HIDING UNDER THE FUCKING BED!!”

With that, Niall stormed back into his room, slamming the door behind him as hard as he could. He was breathing heavy and his whole body felt like it was going to fucking explode. He was filled with anger and adrenaline and had no way to get it out of his system except to pace around his room like a crazy person.

His phone lit up on the nightstand and he walked over to pick it up, dropping it on the carpet in his haste. He curses and reaches down to pick it up, finding texts from both Mark and Basil asking if everything is okay. Niall sighs and texts them both back right away saying everything is fine, just a disagreement with Harry. He apologizes for waking them then drops his phone back down on the nightstand. He sits down on the bed and puts his face in his hands. Everyone probably fucking heard him and Harry screaming at each other. They probably woke the whole floor. Tomorrow morning they’d have to face everyone giving them weird looks and trying to find out what happened.

Sighing, Niall climbs back into bed and lays on his back staring at the ceiling. It’s going to be a long night.

  
~~~

  
The next morning was tense, to say the least. At least it was between Niall and Harry. They haven’t said one word to each other and when they got on the plane to Arizona, Harry sat as far away from Niall as he could, immediately leaning back in his chair and falling asleep. The rest of the crew probably didn’t notice anything. They were too tired and hungover from the night before. They all did the exact same as Harry and curled up to go to sleep even before the plane took off.

Things continued this way for the next couple of days. They had the show in Arizona then one more in San Francisco before ‘The Flicker Sessions’ was officially over and Niall had about a week off before he went on the Jingle Ball Tour. It was the day after the SF show, when Niall was hungover from the tour after party, that Harry spoke to him for the first time since they yelled at each other in L.A.

“So where are we headed now? Last night was your last show. Where’s home for you?” Harry asked him, standing in the doorway between their two rooms.

Niall stood by the bed, staring at Harry through squinted eyes. He had a shower half an hour ago but it didn’t do much for his hangover. He needed coffee, “What do you mean ‘we’?”

Harry stares at him for a long moment before a small smirk comes across his face, “You weren’t under the impression I only go where you go when you’re working were you?”

Niall closed his eyes against his fatigue and the pain in his head. Right now he doesn’t know what he thought, “I...hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Well,” Harry shrugged, “I go where you go until this guy is caught.”

“Yes but I have a state of the art security system at my house, a gated driveway and property. Surely I’m safe in my own home?” Niall says, even though he knows it’s probably pointless. He could use a few days away from Harry. He was feeling too many things he shouldn’t. Some distance would be good.

“Until this guy is caught you’re not safe anywhere and it’s my job to make sure you stay safe until he’s caught. So are we flying back to the UK or...?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

Niall sighed and picked up his backpack to put over his shoulders, “I’ve got five days off. No point in taking that long flight. The bus is driving us all to L.A. Everyone has something they’re doing but I guess you’re coming with me to my house.”

Harry simply nodded then turned around and went back into his room to get his bag and that was that. They got on the bus, Niall lay down in his bunk, and they once again went back to not talking.

  
~~~

  
Niall was more himself by the time they arrived in LA. He slept off his hangover and felt better for it. Enough to remember the manners his Mum taught him anyway. He showed Harry into his LA home, bringing him room to room and showing him where everything is.

“Um. You should make yourself at home,” Niall said, feeling awkward standing in front of Harry. He can’t seem to forget the way Harry was so vulnerable while he was dreaming. The way he cried out - clearly disturbed by something. “I - I’m sure you’d rather be in your own home, with your friends and family, but instead you’re here looking after me and making sure I stay safe. The least I can do is make you comfortable in my home so...”

Harry nods and says thank you, polite but curt, not really showing any emotion on his face at all. Niall hated it. He couldn’t read Harry, had nothing to go off of. It seemed like Harry was starting to come out of his shell, laughing with everyone on a few occasions and cracking jokes. All that was gone again and it frustrated Niall to no end.

“If you don’t mind I’m going to go room to room again and just check the security system you have here at the house. I’d also like to know who has a key and the access code. I’d rather not confront somebody unnecessarily as they’re walking into your house,” Harry says, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Okay,” Niall nodded, “Like I said - make yourself at home. Go where you need to. As for keys to my house, my assistant Tara has a set. You know her obviously. My best mate lives here full time so he has a set. I’ll introduce you when he gets home from work. The only other person is my cleaning lady.”

“Alright. I’ll need her name. Your managers informed me they had the police do background checks on everyone in your life but I prefer to do my own. I’ve seen enough incompetence on police forces. Best to trust myself on this and nobody else.”

“They did _what_?” Niall asked, his eyes going wide. Richard and Harry hadn’t told him about this...had they? To be honest, Niall couldn’t really be sure. When he had first found out about his stalker he had been in shock and knew he didn’t fully take in everything his managers told him. Still. Surely certain people in his life didn’t need a background check? Sean has been his best mate since they were young. Niall trusted him one hundred percent. Same with Tara, his cousins and his family.

“If you’re about to get indignant don’t. This is standard procedure. Nobody is exempt from it, not even your own mother. Not even me. I guarantee your people had me thoroughly vetted. Anyone who has a problem with it probably has something to hide,” Harry says, “Now. I’m going to look around.”

Niall watched as Harry walked off then shook his head and went over to sit on his large couch and turn on the tv. He went straight to the golf channel as always and tried to pay attention but his mind inevitably wandered to Harry. Before the whole dream incident, Niall believed Harry’s true self was starting to come out a bit and he really liked what he was seeing. That was gone now - locked away inside of Harry somewhere and replaced with the stoic version Niall had first met a month ago. It bothered Niall. More than it probably should. His Mum always told him he had a kind heart and a gentle soul. Niall would always smile at her or laugh but maybe she’s right? Maybe he just can’t _let it go_ when someone around him is hurting. Maybe he’s just a sucker for punishment and has to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong.

“Fuck me,” Niall sighs, running a hand through his fluffy hair and making a static mess of it. He didn’t care. He wasn’t going anywhere anyway.

A few minutes later, Niall heard the front door close and Sean’s loud voice, “Nialler?? You home??”

Niall smiled and tipped his head back to look over the back of the couch, “Mully! In the sitting room!”

Sean came barreling in a minute later, a huge grin on his face as he fell on top of Niall on the couch, making Niall let out a loud groan. Sean wasn’t a small man. “How are ya, mate? All done your tour for this year. Well done.”

Niall laughed and hugged his best mate, slapping him on the back a few times, “Happy to see ya, Mully. Only here a few days , though, so get yer fill of me now!”

Sean laughed and rolled himself off of Niall, sitting himself up and fixing his messed up hair, “Feck off! Been living without you for seven years now. Think I can manage.”

Niall rolled his eyes but the smile on his face never wavered. No matter where he went or what he achieved he still had his best mates and when he was with them he was just little Niall Horan from Mullingar, not Niall Horan popstar. “What’s the plans tonight then? Pints, take away, and some telly?”

Sean stretched his legs out and rested his feet on the coffee table, his arms behind his head, “Sounds good to me. Unless you want to go out.”

“Fuck, no!” Niall scoffed, “I’m exhausted. I just wanna chill for a few days and catch up on some tv.”

“Alright with me. I’ve got work in the morning anyway,” Sean answered, “What were you thinking for dinner? Indian? Chinese? Pizza?”

“Indian, yeah,” Niall nods, immediately craving the food, “Been awhile since I had it.”

Sean nodded, “It’s my turn to pay isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Niall said, “But I’ll get it. I don’t expect you to pay if Harry wants some.”

Sean’s eyes widened and he sat up straighter, looking around everywhere as if Harry was going to suddenly appear out of thin air, “That’s right! I forgot! Your bodyguard is here. What’s that been like?”

Niall shrugs his shoulders, really not sure how to answer so he just says, “I’m not dead.”

Sean’s eyebrows pull together and he frowns. They’re not ones to be serious together very often but on rare occasions when it’s needed they do manage it. Apparently right now is one of those occasions, “Well I’m fucking glad you’re not dead but I expected a bit more than that. Is the guy an arsehole or something?”

Niall sighed and kicked one of his legs out like a child throwing a tantrum, “No,” he grumbles, “I thought he was at first but it’s just because he’s blunt and gets right to the point and you know me - I really hate having to have a babysitter so I was being a bit of tosser at first. Everything was fine once we got used to each other.”

“Okay?” Sean said, making it sound like a question, “What’s going on then?”

Niall didn’t get to answer because they heard Harry coming down the stairs and he soon appeared in the sitting room. Niall made the mistake of looking at Sean when Harry appeared and by the gleeful look in his eye, Niall knew he’d be having the piss taken out of him big time later.

“Everything good?” Niall managed to ask, despite his throat suddenly feeling really dry.

“Yes,” Harry nodded, “Your security company is pretty good. Nobody is getting on this property without me hearing them.”

“Darn,” Niall said dramatically, “There goes my booty call tonight.”

Sean burst out into loud laughter while Harry stared at him, eyes blinking slowly and expression unchanged of course. Right. Trying to joke equals epic failure.

“Harry, this is my best mate, Sean. He lives here so don’t kill him,” Niall says, introducing the two men once Sean had stopped laughing.

“Hello,” Harry says, politely nodding at Sean.

“Hey, mate. Nice to meet ya,” Sean holds his hand out and Harry takes it, shaking it firmly, “Thanks for what you’re doing for Nialler. Hopefully he’s not being too big a pain in the arse.”

“I’ve had members of Isis and the taliban actively trying to kill me. I think I can handle one feisty Irishman, “Harry says. He isn’t smiling but Niall can see a hint of amusement in his eyes. He’s making fun of him and for some reason Niall is finding that hot. God help him.

“Dunno mate. Never underestimate us Irish. At the very least we’ll keep feeding you pints until you drink yourself to death,” Sean joked, making Harry crack a smile.

Niall shook his head and settled back against the cushions once Harry had sat down at the other end of the couch and seemed to indulge Sean in questions he had about the military. Niall suspects it’s not the first time someone has asked Harry if military ops actually go down the way they do on tv or in the movies. He doesn’t seem bothered by the questions, though, so Niall sits back and listens in, sometimes joining in on the conversation while keeping one eye on the golf channel.

Eventually Niall was getting hungry so he asked Harry if he wanted Indian food with him and Sean or something else? Harry was fine with Indian so Niall ordered it from uber eats on his phone then tuned back into the conversation only to realize Harry and Sean were talking about golf.

“What a minute!” Niall interrupts Harry mid sentence, “You like golf? Since when?”

“I don’t know. I don’t keep track of when I start liking things,” Harry says, “Since I was a teenager I suppose.”

Niall looks at Harry incredulously, “Why haven’t you said anything? You’ve been with me for a month now. You’ve heard me go on and on about golf, you’ve seen me watching golf all the time, you’ve been with me when I go to the driving range. You didn’t think to mention you like golf any of those times?”

Harry looks at him with his brow furrowed while Sean looks on amusedly, “It’s not my job to talk about myself. I like a lot of things. I don’t go around listing them off to everyone I meet.”

Niall’s mouth drops open and he splutters a bit, not knowing what to say to this. Sean snorts out a laugh, “You’ll have to excuse him. He takes his golf very seriously. In his eyes you’ve probably committed a cardinal sin by not telling him you like it.”

Niall glares at his best mate and wishes he had something in his hand he could throw at him besides his precious remote control for the telly, “Fuck off, Mully,” He says, then returns his attention to Harry, “Have you ever played or just watched on tv?”

“Both,” Harry answers, “I prefer playing. It can get a bit boring on tv sometimes. Playing is different. It’s relaxing. I often spend a lot of time on the course between deployments. Good way to stay in shape without being stuck in a gym. It’s been over a year since I’ve played though.”

“Oh. I think Richard or Harry mentioned a shoulder injury. I guess that’s why you haven’t been able to play?” Niall asked.

Harry nodded, “I had shrapnel in my shoulder. Damaged some of the muscle. I did some rigorous physical therapy and got most of my range of motion back but not enough to swing a golf club the way I’d need to to tee off. If I were to ever play again I’d have to stick to putting I’m afraid.”

Niall knows his eyes lit up at Harry’s words but he doesn’t care how he looks. He slaps a hand on his knee and says, “Brilliant! We’re going tomorrow.”

“Where?” Harry looked confused.

“Golfing obviously! I was going to go on one of my days off anyway. Now I know you can play with me! We can have a putt off. See who’s better,” Niall says, a huge grin on his face.

A slow smile spreads across Harry’s face and Niall swears angels sing or something. That smile could bring anyone to their knees and for that very reason Niall is glad he’s sitting down.

“Golfing are we? Maybe you didn’t notice I didn’t bring clubs with me or proper clothing for that matter,” Harry says, “But if I did have those things you’d lose. Just saying.”

Niall claps his hands together and throws his head back laughing, “No problem. You can use Sean’s clubs and we’ll go shopping tomorrow to get you proper clothes. Then you can put your money where your mouth is.”

“Sounds alright to me. Do you mind if I use your clubs?” Harry asks Sean.

Sean snorts and stands up from the couch, “You can have the bloody things. I only have them because this bloody bastard here bought them for me, convinced if I just got out there with him I’d love the game as much as he does. I’ll go get them from my closet.”

While Sean is gone, Niall tells Harry a bit about the course they’ll be going to tomorrow. Not long after, the food arrives and they all tuck in with their trays on their laps. Niall goes through the movie network and they decide to watch The Kingsman movies. Neither of the three of them had seen the first one so they put that one on first and would watch the latest one afterward.

All in all it was a good night. Niall felt comfortable there in his sitting room with his best mate and Harry. For some reason Sean and Harry hit it off and got on well and the three of them sat enjoying the movies together, commenting now and then on something they liked or thought was cool.

When both movies were finished, Sean went to bed since it was almost midnight and he had to be up early for work. Niall wasn’t ready for bed yet so he turned the golf channel back on and surprisingly Harry stayed there with him and the two talked about the game and players they enjoy. When they fell into a comfortable silence, Niall didn’t think anything of it until a little while later Harry started talking and Niall knew immediately he had fallen asleep and was talking in his sleep again.

Niall sat up and pushed the blanket he had gotten off himself. He stared at Harry not knowing what to do. Last time he had shaken Harry’s shoulder and that didn’t end up so well. They had gotten into a screaming match and ended up not talking for a few days. Niall didn’t want to just leave him there though. He admittedly didn’t understand half of what Harry was mumbling. It was a bunch of military talk Niall had only heard on tv or in the movies. He could tell Harry was distressed, though, and he didn’t want to leave him in that situation.

Standing up from the couch, he walked around the back and decided to just call out Harry’s name loudly. He would wake him up without being anywhere near him so that if he was startled he couldn’t flip Niall over and pin him down again. Not that Niall wouldn’t _enjoy_ that just...not in these circumstances.

Clearing his throat first, Niall called out, “Harry? Harry wake up.”

Harry twitched in his sleep but didn’t wake up so Niall cleared his throat again and called out louder this time, “Harry? Wake up, Harry!”

This time Harry startled awake and quickly stood up, looking all around him, taking in his surroundings. When he saw Niall standing behind the couch he ran a hand through his hair and asked, “What’s going on?”

“You were having a bad dream,” Niall explained, his fingers digging into the back of the couch. He can never keep his hands or fingers still when he’s nervous.

Harry visibly swallows and his eyes dart back and forth, looking everywhere in the room but at Niall, “Sorry if I disturbed you. You could have just left me here and went on to bed.”

Niall studies Harry for a moment then shakes his head, “No, I couldn’t. I don’t pretend to know what you were dreaming about but it definitely wasn’t pleasant. I couldn’t just leave you here, continuing on in that dream for God knows how long.”

Harry nods his head slowly but he doesn’t speak. He seems unsure of himself - smaller somehow. He doesn’t seem to know what to say so Niall takes charge and asks what any Irish or British person would ask, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Harry’s eyes lift and he looks directly at Niall for the first time, “Only if you’re having some.”

Niall wasn’t planning on it. He’s exhausted and it was almost one in the morning. He was planning on going to bed but he’ll have tea and stay up all night with Harry if Harry wants him to, “I am having some. I slept on the bus all the way here. Not ready for bed yet.”

Harry nods, “Thank you. I’ll meet you in the kitchen. I just want to go to the toilet for a minute.”

Niall says okay then heads into the kitchen while Harry heads in the opposite direction to the bathroom. He fills the kettle and turns it on then busies himself getting cups, tea bags, milk and sugar. When Harry returns he looks a bit better. He takes a seat at the counter on one of the stools opposite of Niall. Niall places his cup in front of him along with a pack of biscuits. When the water is boiled he pours some into both cups then they both silently make their tea the way they like and Niall grabs a biscuit to dip into his.

“Have you ever - “ Harry begins then stops abruptly, looking like he’s fighting with himself. Like he’s debating if he should open up or not.

Niall remains quiet, munching on his biscuit and not pressuring Harry. He seems to remember his Granny doing the same thing when he was a child back in Ireland and not sure if he should fess up to doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.

It takes five minutes and several sips of tea before Harry starts again, “Have you ever known something isn’t your fault but you keep obsessively going over in your head all the things you could have done differently? Should have done differently?”

Niall doesn’t answer immediately. Partly because he’s surprised Harry has suddenly opened up in this way and partly because he wants to take a minute to think about what he wants to say before he says it. “Yes,” he finally says while slowly nodding his head, “I’ve done exactly that before. I used to do it all the time. I suspect because I tend to be a bit ocd and over analyze things all the time. I’ve gotten better at letting things go now but it’s a struggle sometimes.”

Harry’s teeth are biting down into his bottom lip and he’s tracing his finger over the design in the countertop. When he looks up at Niall again he looks...sad, tired, tortured even, “Well, if there’s some magical way I can stop going over things in my head please let me know. Maybe then I’ll stop dreaming about it.”

Niall smiles sadly and shakes his head, “I wish there was something I could tell you that would help. I have a feeling the situation I wish I’d handled differently is completely different from yours. Mine involves a relationship whereas I have a feeling yours involves your service to your country and in comparison...well they just don’t compare.”

Harry frowns and almost looks a little angry, “Don’t say that. I don’t believe that at all. I’m no different than you or anyone else. Yes, I’ve served my country but that doesn’t make me better somehow. Our situations are different - yes, but that doesn’t make yours any less important just because you haven’t been in the military. People need to realize that soldiers are human too and take us off whatever pedestal they have us on.”

Niall’s eyes widened and he reached across the counter to lay his hand on top of Harry’s without even thinking about what he was doing, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! That’s not - no, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to imply that soldiers aren’t human too. I just - “ Niall stops and takes a breath, “Why don’t I tell you about my situation? That will help me explain better what I mean.”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me anything. It’s personal and none of my business,” Harry says, shaking his head. He doesn’t remove his hand from under Niall’s, though, and Niall considers that progress for sure.

“I want to,” Niall smiles reassuringly at Harry then gets up to turn the kettle on again, squeezing Harry’s hand gently before he lets go, “We need more tea first. I do at least.”

Harry agrees and Niall pours them more tea before he sits down again and grabs another biscuit, “I don’t mind talking about it really. It’s something that happened four years ago. I’ve even written about it and there’s songs on my album about it.”

“Yeah?” Harry raises an eyebrow, “Will I be able to figure out which songs?”

Niall laughed as he dipped his biscuit in his tea, “Maybe. Depends on how well you’ve been listening to my album.” Niall takes a bite from his biscuit before speaking again, “I don’t know how much you know about One Direction. Basically after the X-factor final in December of 2010 we started working and we didn’t stop until December 2015 when our break started. Looking back now I know some people say it was too much and our management overworked us. Maybe they did. I don’t know. I loved it. I love traveling, touring, being on stage. I didn’t want to stop. We literally put an album out every single November, did the promo season before Christmas, got Christmas off them after Christmas went into tour rehearsals then a world tour. Every year. So as you can imagine we didn’t have much time off. Ten days here, ten days there.”

Harry sits back on his stool and whistles lowly, “I thought the military was strict. We had more time off between deployments than that.”

“Well that’s probably a good thing. You do handle guns and other weapons,” Niall says with a laugh, “Anyway I met this girl at some industry party we were at. It was during promo season in the fall. She was kind of new in the acting/modelling world so I didn’t know who she was. We met and I thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. We just exchanged small talk and then she went her way and I went mine. When I found out later she wanted my number I was gobsmacked. Girls like her were never interested in me I thought. I had my teeth fixed by that point but I still had the awful bleached blonde hair, I could still barely grow a beard and no matter what I did I couldn’t gain any weight or muscle. I was this stick thin, short, little bloke and never in a million years thought a model would be interested in me.”

“Wait a minute,” Harry stops him, “Looking at you now...I’m having trouble picturing this younger version of you. What was wrong with your teeth?”

Niall laughs and picks his phone up off the counter, going into google and searching his own name. He easily finds pictures of himself from 2011 to show Harry and passes his phone across the counter.

“Wow,” Harry says slowly as he looks back and forth from the picture to Niall sitting across from him, “You look a lot different. A lot younger. Baby faced really. I didn’t mature as fast as other boys my age either. Believe it or not, I went off to the Royal Navy as a baby faced eighteen year old with a mop of curly hair that looked like a bird’s nest. I couldn’t grow chest or facial hair until I was probably twenty-two. Meant I worked harder to prove myself because nobody believed I was actually even old enough to enlist.”

“A mop of curly hair? Isn’t short hair mandatory in the military?” Niall asked, trying to picture Harry with hair all over the place. It’s short right now, a bit wavy on top but not curly and certainly not like a bird’s nest.

“It is. I shaved my head eventually but after a couple years when I joined special forces I grew it out again. A lot of our missions required under cover work and for us to look like everyday normal people. There was a woman in my unit who had long hair like Tara’s.” Harry explained.

Niall nodded in understanding then continued with what he was saying, “So, naturally I was sceptical about this girl. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to use me to further their career. We talked a bit and eventually started dating. It became clear to me she wasn’t after money or fame and from there it got serious pretty quickly. We fell pretty hard for each other. Unfortunately I was never home and she couldn’t come out on tour very much because her career was just beginning and she had to be in London, New York, or LA for work. We talked everyday and I didn’t realize that that was hurting her. She said the more we talked the more she loved me and it was breaking her heart to never see me. I was devastated. I couldn’t handle being thousands of miles away and knowing she was crying after we hung up every time and crying herself to sleep at night. When we were finally together again she ended things. She cried, I cried, but I didn’t try to talk her out of it. She needed to get away and find someone who could be there for her the way I couldn’t. I didn’t want to let her go. It practically killed me but I needed to do what was right by her. That night I truly learned what it meant to make a sacrifice for someone you love.”

Niall pauses for a minute, taking a sip of tea and gathering his thoughts. He was over her now and hoped she was happy with someone else but it still brought back painful memories for him, “So you see what I mean now. Having a break up and thinking back wishing you’d done things differently isn’t the same as being in a war and fighting for your life.”

When Niall finishes talking, Harry is shaking his head and reaching over to put his hand on top of Niall’s this time, “I get what you mean but I don’t agree. There are decisions we make every single day that affect us all differently. Your break up with someone you loved very much is just as important as anything I’ve gone through in my life or anything your friend Sean may have gone through. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself very well here.”

“No you are!” Niall says quickly, putting his other hand on top of Harry’s and squeezing gently, “I understand what you mean. Thank you for not thinking I’m silly.”

“I don’t at all,” Harry says earnestly, “Love is an amazing thing but sometimes it can also be really hard and rip your heart out. You could have been selfish and begged her to stay and give you another chance. She probably would have given in. Instead you did the unselfish thing because you loved her. If my Mum were here right now she’d say what you did was probably the hardest thing one would ever have to do in a lifetime.”

Niall blushes a little and gives Harry a crooked smile, “Maybe. Let’s just say I hope I’m never faced with a situation like that again. I don’t know if I could do the right thing a second time.”

“You would,” Harry says confidently, “You’d do it again ten more times if you had to. It’s who you are. You’re a kind person and you put others before you constantly. I’ve witnessed this myself over the past month I’ve known you. It’s been...a surprise and not what I was expecting,” Harry chuckles, “I can admit when I’m wrong,though, and I was dead wrong about you, Niall Horan. Dead wrong.”

Niall sits completely still, staring back at Harry and getting lost in the look in his eyes. It brought a shiver down Niall’s spine and made his heart beat so fast he thought it was going to jump out of his chest. Something was shifting between them in this moment - something Niall didn’t completely understand. He welcomed it, though. He welcomed the swooping feeling in his gut, the rush of heat that took him over and filled his cheeks with warmth. He was also terrified but he welcomed that, too, because it was a good kind of terrified. An anticipation of what was to come.

When Niall couldn’t stand it any longer, he cleared his throat and looked away, standing up to bring their empty tea cups to the dishwasher, “We should probably try to get some sleep. I’m serious about playing golf tomorrow.”

Harry chuckled and stood up, lifting his arms over his head to stretch. Niall couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering down Harry’s body to catch the sliver of skin that appeared when Harry’s shirt rode up. He gulped and tried to will himself to look away but the toned muscle and trail of hair disappearing down into Harry’s jeans were too enticing.

Harry dropped his arms when he finished stretching and the show ended for Niall, making him look away quickly and hope that Harry didn’t notice.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Harry said as he began to walk away, “Well, later in the morning anyway,” He smiled.

“Yep. Goodnight,” Niall says, busying himself with wiping down the counter.

Harry was almost out of the room when he stopped, “Hey Niall?” Niall stopped what he was doing and looked up, “Too much to Ask, Paper Houses and Flicker.”

Niall’s breath hitched and he couldn’t respond as he stared back at Harry, once again getting lost in his eyes. Niall didn’t have to respond though. Harry seemed confident he was right and smiled softly once more before disappearing out of the kitchen and upstairs for bed.

Niall finished cleaning up in the kitchen and followed suit five minutes later, a small smile on his face as he walked up the stairs. Harry had guessed right. Those songs were written about his breakup. That means Harry has definitely paid attention to his songs, especially the lyrics and that’s all Niall could think about as he climbed into his bed with a silly grin on his face.

  
~~~

  
There was a definite shift in their relationship after that night. Harry couldn’t deny it. In fact he was finding more and more that he didn’t want to. Being around Niall was magical. He was so full of life, so energetic, so full of laughter. He was always thinking about others before himself and when it came to family members or close friends he treated them like they were royalty and in return they treated him the same way. They were fiercely loyal to him and he deserved it.

They went golfing the next day just like Niall said. They stopped somewhere for Harry to get the proper clothes to wear and while he was picking something out, Harry couldn’t help but smile the whole time as he listened to Niall chatting away with one of the clerks about sports. It took less than a minute for him to have the guy laughing and by the time they left the shop Harry is sure the guy had stars in his eyes a bit - even if he wasn’t completely sure who Niall was. Harry was beginning to think of it as ‘The Niall Effect’.

They continued on to the golf course, just the two of them and they weren’t even out there for ten minutes when Harry decided it was the most fun he’s ever had playing golf. They didn’t play the course normally. Niall asked Harry if Harry would mind if he teed off for both of them then he would give Harry first pick of which ball he wanted to play of the two teed off. Harry agreed and so began their day of fun. Harry thinks his favourite part might be when Niall would pretend to pout because Harry was doing better than him.

In the end, Harry won and he didn’t miss the impressed look in Niall’s eyes even when he pretended to be pissed off that he lost. It made Harry feel warm inside, a feeling Harry wasn’t too familiar with - at least not since he was a teenager and caught up in his first ever romance at sixteen. Once he joined the Royal Navy at eighteen he didn’t bother starting a proper relationship. There was no time and Harry didn’t want to put someone through that anyway.

Now, on the day after golfing, Harry is sitting on the couch in Niall’s sitting room, watching as Niall sits on the opposite couch signing album covers and goofing around on his Instagram live. He’s got his phone out so he can at least pretend to be doing something but really he can’t take his eyes off Niall.

“Ask me questions!” Niall is currently saying to his followers as he signs another cover and puts it back in the box, “I’m seein’ a lot of incoherent stuff but no questions! I know that ya love me. I love all of you and thank you for your support as always but I want some questions. Let’s see if we can get some I’ve never had before.”

Harry smirks at that. Niall seems to have a good relationship with his fans. He teases and makes fun of them sometimes and they seem to understand he’s not meaning any harm by it. It’s cute. Oh God. Harry can’t believe it’s come to this. He’s starting to think random things are cute. He’s so screwed.

“What?” Niall’s laughing now and he’s stopped signing to read the screen, “What are you lot talkin’ about now? What hot guy on tour? Gerry are you logged in under someone else’s account? You’re not hot by the way!”

Harry snorts, quickly covering his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter so he’s not heard on Niall’s computer. Niall looks over at him, a sexy smirk on his face that makes Harry want to kiss it off.

Niall reads some more then throws his head back in loud laughter before he glances over at Harry again, “Oh the one with the short, dark hair and dimples? That’s the ‘hot’ guy on tour you’re talkin’ about? You lot are nuts. That’s me manager. Well he’s new at my managing firm. He’s come along on tour to learn a few things.”

Harry’s eyes widen and his cheeks turn red when he realizes they’re talking about him. That’s the cover story they decided to use to explain why Harry was everywhere all of a sudden. His mouth dropped open and he dropped his phone, covering his face with his hands while Niall continued to laugh gleefully.

“I’ll make sure to tell him all the wonderful things you lot are sayin’ about him. I’m sure he’d love to know how sexy you think he is,” Niall says through his infectious laughter, “Maybe we’ll put him out on stage at Jingle Ball since you seem to be gone off me now.” Niall pauses to read then laughs again, “Oh that got your attention did it? Ya still want me out there playin’ the shows? That’s good. Thought I lost me job to me own manager!”

Harry groans quietly and shakes his head, peeking out at Niall through his fingers. Niall grins over at him and Harry can’t decide if he wants to smack the grin off his face or kiss it off...or both actually. Jesus Christ.

Niall is back to reading the screen again, “Who hurt me so bad that I wrote ‘Flicker?’ Come on now. You know I’m not going to tell you that. I share most things with you but my dating life is off limits. Nice try though.”

Harry likes that about Niall. He’s learned that Niall seems to be pretty active on social media and he speaks openly with his fans but when it comes to dating he’s very private. Harry knows this because he may have gotten his best mate and goddaughters mother, Jenny, to give him her Twitter info so he could log on and look up Niall. She teased him mercilessly about his apparent crush on Niall but she gave him the info and he knew she would never tell anybody.

“How many covers am I signing? That’s a good question. I’ve got three thousand here this time around. It’s good though. It doesn’t take that long, really, and I usually listen to music while I’m doing it. This time I decided to log onto Instagram and chat with you lot. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it before actually.” Niall continues on, “Should have a chat with me new manager. He should have thought of this a long time ago and mentioned it to me.”

Harry rolls his eyes and sticks up both middle fingers at Niall, making Niall break out into laughter again. Harry could honestly listen to him laugh all day. He has no doubt he’ll be spending his time now trying to think up ways to make Niall laugh just so he can hear it more. He has to be careful, though, he can’t forget what he’s doing here - what his job is. He has to stay sharp and not get distracted by Niall’s laugh or his pretty blue eyes.

Niall wraps up ten minutes later and closes his laptop while still chuckling a bit. He’s still signing albums but looks up at Harry anyway, “You’ve been noticed by the fandom.”

Harry puts a hand up and tries to glare at Niall, “Do not start.”

“Oh I’m starting. I’m never letting this go. They think you’re hot, Harry, hot and many other things I won’t mention so I don’t make you blush,” Niall says giddily.

Harry groaned and tipped his head back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, “Your fans are ridiculous.”

Niall is still laughing, “My fans are brilliant and you don’t mess with them because they’ll take your head off.”

“So I’ve heard. Must be nice to have a whole fandom of people all over the world that has your back,” Harry says sincerely.

“It is. They’ve given me everything I have. I reckon if we released a statement on what’s going on with this stalker they’d find him somehow. Real detectives they are sometimes,” Niall says as he goes back to signing album covers.

“Well we definitely won’t be doing that. We’re just going to have to sit tight and do this the old fashioned way.” Harry says.

Niall stops again and looks across at Harry seriously, “And what if we still haven’t found this guy by Christmas? You’re supposed to come to Ireland with me and not see your family?”

Harry shrugs, unbothered by it, “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve missed Christmas. One year in Iraq the days just kind of ran into each other. Before I knew it it was the middle of January. I’m used to it.”

Niall slams his sharpie down on the table and stands up, walking around the table to sit next to Harry on the other couch. His eyes are a dark blue and full of fire when he looks Harry in the eye, “Well you shouldn’t be fucking used to it! You were in the military for ten years, Harry. Who knows how many Christmas’ you’ve missed? What if you had died over there? There wouldn’t be any more Christmas’. So you should be spending every holiday you can with your parents! Not following me around and protecting my skinny arse!”

Harry clenches his hands at his sides and tries to keep his voice calm when he speaks, “I don’t need you to tell me I could have died over there. I lived it remember? I was fucking there! So please spare me when you’re going off about one day out of the year that not everyone cares about.”

Niall’s face is bright red and he, too, is clenching his hands into fists by his side, “Whether or not you like Christmas is beside the point, Harry. You love your family. I’ve heard you talking about your Mum and sister. Christmas is for family and your family deserves to have you with them! That’s all I’m saying.”

“So what? You want me to back out of the job I accepted and leave you vulnerable so I can see my family for one day?” Harry spits out, “It doesn’t work like that, Niall. I may not be in the military anymore but I’m still Royal Navy Special Forces and we don’t give up, we don’t back down, and we don’t abandon. My assignment is to keep you safe and I’m not leaving until that assignment is complete. So I guess you’re just going to have to deal with that.”

“Oh fuck you,” Niall yells angrily, “I was trying to be nice, Harry! My family is important to me. I’d hate not seeing them for Christmas. I feel bad enough that some asshole has chosen to target me and your life got upended because of it all. I’d feel like shit if your mum didn’t get to see you for Christmas. Sorry for trying to be nice!”

Harry knew Niall was right. He was just trying to be nice and Harry went off on him because he brought up the war and how Harry could have almost died. Harry knows he’s wrong but now that he’s worked up and arguing he can’t stop. Admitting he’s wrong is not his strong point, “Well stop feeling guilty!” Harry yells, “It’s not like I’m here against my will. You’re paying me pretty damn good so get over it!”

Niall shakes his head and a humourless laugh escapes him, “You’re unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable. Here I thought we were - “

Niall stops talking abruptly and Harry tilts his head to the side a bit, wondering what he was going to say, “You thought we were what, Niall? Say what you want to say!”

“I thought we were becoming friends, okay? I thought the days of you skulking around and not talking much were over. I thought you were trusting me enough to let me get to know you a bit. Obviously I was wrong so I’m going to just fuck off now and go do something upstairs!” Niall says angrily.

Harry watches as Niall with his red cheeks and messed up hair, turns to grab his phone from the table and leave the room. There’s a touch of sadness in his eyes and he’s breathing heavily from yelling. Harry’s heart squeezes in his chest and he knows he doesn’t want to let Niall go. He wants him to stay. He wants to kiss him senseless and make those cheeks red for a different reason. So that’s exactly what he does.

Harry reached out and grabbed Niall’s arm, spinning him around so they were face to face. Their eyes met and to Harry it felt like time stood still for a moment as he and Niall stood just inches away from each other, both breathing heavy and both with fire and lust in their eyes.

When Niall’s tongue came out just enough to wet his lips, Harry felt like desire exploded in his chest and he grabbed Niall around the waist, pulling him in against him so their chests were pressed together, “Fuck it,” He whispered, right before crashing his lips down onto Niall’s and kissing him hard.

A moment passed, then two, then finally - _finally_ \- Niall moaned against Harry’s lips and wound his arms around Harry’s neck, immediately slipping his fingers into the soft curls at Harry’s neck. Harry pulls Niall completely up against him until the younger man is up on his tiptoes, then he deepens the kiss, working his tongue into Niall’s mouth and letting out a soft moan of his own when Niall’s tongue meets his.

Harry’s whole body feels like it’s on fire as they kiss frantically, only pulling apart for a split second to change the angle of their heads then they were diving back in, Niall’s teeth biting at Harry’s lip and teasing him. Harry growls deep in his throat and completely picks Niall up off his feet, murmuring a ‘fuck yeah’ when Niall wastes no time lifting his legs and wrapping them around Harry’s waist. Harry begins to walk them blindly around the room, knocking his shin on the coffee table but barely feeling the pain and certainly not stopping.

They end up next to the stairs with Harry pinning Niall against the wall as they continue to ravage each other’s mouths. When Harry’s brain begs him to breathe, he pulls back and starts mouthing along Niall’s jaw and down along his neck, feeling Niall’s pulse rapidly beating under his lips. When Niall moans near his ear and his scruff rubs against Harry’s skin, Harry groans and sinks his teeth into the skin just above Niall’s collarbone, determined to leave his mark there. He doesn’t get that far, though, because Niall begins to rock against him and Harry can feel Niall’s half hard cock brushing against his abs. When he realizes he’s half hard as well, realization washes over him like a cold bucket of water and he immediately steps away from Niall, making sure he puts him gently back onto his feet.

“Wha-?” Niall can barely get that much out as his chest is heaving from trying to catch his breath. His cheeks are red, his hair is a mess and his lips are swollen from Harry’s kisses. He looks positively debauched and Harry wants nothing more than to move closer again and finish the job.

Harry takes deep breaths and runs his hand through his hair, trying to catch his breath and get things back under control, “I’m - I’m sorry, I - “

Niall licks his lips and runs a hand through his own hair. His eyes are still the darkest of blues and filled with desire, “Sorry? For what? I don’t - I don’t understand.”

Harry breathes in deeply through his nose and wags his finger back and forth between the two of them, “This. What just happened. It shouldn’t have. I - it shouldn’t have.”

“Why?” Niall seems confused now as he pushes himself away from the wall, “Why shouldn’t it? It’s not like you forced me. I was shocked at first but it didn’t take me long to respond. I wanted it just as much as you did. I still want it.”

Harry shook his head firmly, “No. Nuh uh. This can’t happen again. We can’t want this. I’m here to protect you. Whatever...attraction we have for each other, we need to forget about it. We cannot let this happen again. Do you understand me? I can’t let my judgement be impaired because I’m wrapped up in you. It’s too dangerous.”

The desire is gone from Niall’s eyes now, replaced by anger, “No, I don’t fucking understand you! Attraction - _feelings_ \- just can’t be turned off, Harry. Whatever is between us - we need to talk about it. We can’t hide from it.”

“No?” Harry says, clenching his jaw. He’s angry. Angry at himself for letting this happen, “Just fucking watch me.”

Harry turns around and stalks through the house toward the front door, Niall yelling behind him, “Where the fuck are you going? You can’t just _leave_!”

Harry opens the front door and stands with his hand on the doorknob, “Don’t worry - I’m not leaving the property. I’m just going outside. You’ll be safe.”

With that, Harry stepped outside, the sound of the door slamming behind him reverberating in his head for the rest of the night.

  
~~~

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the final part of ‘You Make Loving Fun’ 
> 
> It took a few weeks but I’m finally done and happy to get it out there for you all to enjoy. Please keep in mind I actually have no idea how the music industry or the military works so I’ve just made things up for the sake of the story. The beauty of fiction lol 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this! It took a lot of months to write. If you have time please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the story. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you all!
> 
> Love,  
> Allie

 

 

**Three weeks later**

  
Niall spent pretty much five straight years on the road travelling from show to show, doing non stop promo, meet and greets, photo shoots, and a million other things while he was with One Direction, yet he’s never been as physically and mentally exhausted as he is right now.

It’s finally the middle of December, he’s just finished a string of Jingle Ball shows in America, finishing up with one last show in London, and he’s done it all on very little sleep while constantly stuck in a situation of never ending strain and awkwardness. Even his band and team began to notice things weren’t quite right between him and Harry but nobody dared ask what happened after Gerry tried one night and Niall angrily bit his head off.

He apologized of course. He and Gerry stayed up one night on the bus drinking Guinness and Niall thanked him for being concerned. He also told him he didn’t want to talk about it and Gerry being as laid back as he is left it at that and they talked about other stuff while drinking.

As for Niall and Harry - they hadn’t spoken two words to each other since the night they kissed. Not even hello or good morning. Harry did his job silently and Niall let him. He’s too proud to beg. There’s no doubt in his mind that he wants Harry. Their kiss only helped to make things perfectly clear to Niall. He couldn’t fight his feelings anymore. He’s attracted to Harry, yes, but he likes him too and maybe there could be something between them but Niall isn’t about to go beg Harry to give him a chance. The man is up on his moral high horse and Niall isn’t going to be the one to knock him off of it. If Harry wants him, he’s going to have to come and get him.

Niall isn’t stupid. He knows he could be handling this better. He could be the bigger man, go to Harry and say ‘look, what happened happened now let’s forget it and at least act normal around each other’ but he won’t. He was rejected and his pride is hurt. As far as he’s concerned he can act a little petty.

Of course things have gotten a bit difficult now. It’s the day after the London Jingle Ball show and Niall is stuck in his London flat with Harry. Alone. He spent the first half of the day in his bedroom sleeping but when he finally woke up and ventured out around the house he walked in on Harry doing sit ups in the sitting room. If Harry noticed him he didn’t acknowledge it. He just kept going with the sit ups and Niall stood there watching as his muscles rippled and sweat glistened all over his body. When Niall was finally able to pull himself away, he got himself some food from the kitchen and retreated back to his room for the rest of the day. He hasn’t seen Harry since.

“Fuck sakes,” Niall muttered to himself as he yet again changed positions on his bed. This is getting ridiculous. He’s antsy now because he’s not made to be stuck in his room all day. He likes to be out on his massive couch in front of his massive tv watching golf and footie and movies. Why is he shutting himself up in his bedroom in his _own_ house? He’s an adult. If Harry is out in the sitting room so what? Niall can sit out there, watch tv, and ignore Harry...right?

Niall is sitting there trying to talk himself into getting up off the bed and going out into the sitting room when the song playing on his phone ends and ‘Never Be the Same’ by Camila Cabello comes on. It’s one of her new ones that she sent to him and it’s really good but right now it’s not what Niall needs to hear. It reminds him too much of Harry.

**Just like Nicotine, Heroin, Morphine,  
** Suddenly I’m a fiend and you’re all I need  
Yeah you’re all I need. 

**It’s you babe  
** And I’m a sucker for the way that you move babe  
And I could try to run but it would be useless  
You’re to blame  
Just one hit and you will know I’ll never be the same. 

“Fuck,” Niall cursed and grabbed his phone up to turn off the music. It’s like she’s singing about him. He could easily have written the song himself about how Harry makes him feel. Ever since the kiss there’s been this desire coursing through his body, this utter _need_ to have Harry pressed up against him again. He’s replayed the kiss over and over in his head while alone in his bed at night and more than once he’s gotten himself off because of that. It was just... _so_ fucking hot. To be manhandled like that, pressed up against a wall and kissed with such passion - Niall knows he’ll never forget it as long as he lives.

A muffled shout brought Niall out of his thoughts and he scrambled off the bed, quickly going to his bedroom door and pressing his ear to the door to listen. The hallway was silent so he opened the door slowly and stepped out, looking down the hallway to where Harry’s bedroom was. Another shout confirmed what Niall was already thinking - Harry must be having another dream.

Niall closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath, slowly letting it out through his nose. He tried not to think about the things Harry went through during his time in the military, the things that he must have seen. It was too much for Niall to comprehend and his heart broke for Harry every time he witnessed him having one of these nightmares. He wanted to help him but he didn’t know how. So he simply did what he’s done before and walked down the hall to knock on Harry’s door. The least he could do is wake him from his awful nightmare and hope that when he fell asleep again it would be peaceful.

“Harry!” Niall called out as he knocked on the door, “Wake up, Harry!”

Niall waited and after five minutes of not hearing anything he slowly pushed the door open to see if Harry had maybe woken up but fallen right back to sleep again quickly. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Harry was sitting up in bed with the lamp by the bed casting a soft glow over the room. He had his head in his hands and when he heard Niall come in he looked up, his eyes filled with tears and a broken look on his face.

“He didn’t listen to me, Niall. He just - he didn’t listen,” Harry said, his voice raspy from sleep and shouting.

Niall slowly walked over to the bed and carefully sat down on the edge with one leg tucked underneath him. He didn’t get too close to Harry yet, wanting to give him his space for the moment, “Who are you talking about Harry? Is there anything I can do for you? To help you?”

Harry didn’t answer Niall’s question, he just continued to look at Niall with the most broken look in his eyes that Niall has ever seen and said again, “He wouldn’t listen. He just wouldn’t listen and - and he was _supposed_ to listen to me, Niall! I was in charge of my unit! I was the commanding officer! I pulled my team back. There were too many insurgents. The intel we got wasn’t right so we pulled back but Walsh - he was so young and ready to fight. He was convinced we could get done what we went there to do. He disobeyed my order and he - he - “

Niall watched as Harry’s breath caught and his face crumpled, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. His shoulders started to shake and within a minute he was sobbing - loud, anguished sobs like Niall’s never heard before.

“Oh God,” Niall whispered as tears began to gather in his own eyes. He moved closer to Harry and pulled him against his chest, holding him as tight as he could while he sobbed his heart out, “Oh, Harry. God. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

Harry pressed his face against Niall’s chest and fisted Niall’s t-shirt in one hand. His shoulders shook violently and his sobs were heartbreaking. There were moments when he’d gasp for breath and Niall worried he’d hyperventilate but there was no getting through to him, no asking him to try to calm down and slow his breathing. Whatever was happening right now, Niall suspected it was a long time coming and that Harry needed this, needed to get all the hurt, pain and anguish out that has been locked inside of him for over a year and all Niall could do was hold on to him and make him feel safe until it was over.

A long time passed with the only sound in the room being that of Harry’s gut wrenching sobs. Niall can’t be sure how much time has passed but his leg that is tucked under him is asleep and his bottom lip is sore and raw from biting into it to keep himself from falling apart. He’s never in his life seen someone as broken as Harry is right now and it’s affecting him deeply. Nobody should have to suffer this way. Nobody.

Niall is so lost in his thoughts that he’s caught off guard when Harry suddenly wrenches himself out of his arms and scrambles off the bed, pacing back and forth in front of the window, “Oh my God. I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. That was completely unprofessional of me. That can’t happen again.”

“Harry,” Niall looks at him bewildered, “What are you talking about? Sit down.”

“No,” Harry shook his head and continued to pace while wiping at his face with his hands, “I can’t sit. I’ve been completely unprofessional. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to call your people and have them bring someone else here to protect you.”

“Harry!” Niall pushed himself up off the bed and nearly fell over because his leg was asleep. Harry was there in an instant, catching him and keeping him upright while he banged his foot on the floor to get some feeling back in it, “What are you going on about? I’m not calling anybody.”

“Niall,” Harry held him at arms length by the shoulders, “Someone could have broken in here and come after you while I was too busy blubbering on and on and feeling sorry for myself.”

Niall snorted and rolled his eyes, “Harry. Stop being ridiculous. I have every faith if someone broke in here you’d snap into Kung fu mode and deal with it in a heartbeat. I feel one hundred percent safe here with you. I don’t need to call anybody.”

Harry stared at him quietly for a moment, then a slow smile spread across his face that had Niall’s heart fluttering and had him thinking Harry is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen - even with his cheeks tear stained and his eyes red and swollen from crying, “Kung Fu?”

“Oh fuck off!” Niall rolled his eyes again and folded his arms across his chest, trying (in vain) to keep from laughing along with Harry, “You _know_ what I mean! All those - those - karate type moves you learn in the military!”

By now Harry was howling with laughter, bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees. Niall was laughing too, more so because Harry was laughing and Niall was just so happy and relieved to see it. Also, maybe he does realize how ridiculous he sounded going on about Kung Fu and Karate but in his defence he doesn’t know what else to call it!

“Oh God!” Harry stood up to his full height again, holding on to his side as his laughter subsided to just a few giggles, “I’ve never done Karate before in my life. I wouldn’t even know where to start!”

Niall laughs and quickly cuts his hand through the air and strikes a pose similar to Jackie Chan in one of his many films. This of course had Harry howling with laughter again and Niall couldn’t help but laugh along with him but also watch him because he’s never seen Harry laugh like this before. It was truly a beautiful sight and it made Niall more determined than ever to make it happen as much as he could. Harry deserved to laugh like this always.

“Now this is what I like to see!” Niall says when his laughter subsides to a few giggles.

Harry’s laughter has slowed, too, and he looks down at his feet to avoid looking at Niall, “Yeah I...”

“Hey. I’m going to make us some tea, yeah? Why don’t you go splash some cold water on your face? You’ll feel better. I promise,” Niall says, turning around to leave the room, “Don’t argue with me either. Go wash your face.”

Niall leaves the room, not bothering to look back at Harry. He hears Harry chuckle, though, so he must not be going to put up a fight anyway.

Ten minutes later, Niall walks back into Harry’s room with a tray in his hands. He’s got two cups of tea, milk, sugar and a package of digestives on it. He lays the tray on the bed and motions to Harry to go ahead and make his tea the way he likes. Niall does the same then they both sit at the top of the bed with their backs against the headboard.

“Look,” Niall begins after a minute of silence, “I’m going to say something and you probably won’t like it but let me say it, okay?”

Harry doesn’t say anything so Niall continues.

“I don’t know exactly what happened to you. I think I can piece some things together based on some things you’ve said before while you were dreaming and based on the things you said tonight but I don’t know anything for sure. Even if I did I wouldn’t sit here and pretend to know how you’re feeling or tell you everything is going to be okay,” Niall says quietly, his voice serious but calm, “What I will do is be here. If you want to talk, I will listen. That’s all I’ll do. I won’t try to interfere and spout a bunch of bullshit at you. I’ll just listen if you want me to. If talking or screaming about it helps you in any way, I’ll be here to listen. You can trust me, Harry. I promise you.”

Niall finishes speaking and sips his tea. Harry does the same and everything is quiet between them for five minutes.

“I’ve never talked about it before. To anyone,” Harry says quietly, his knees pulled up to his chest and his chin resting on his knees. He was finished his tea and the cup lay empty on the bedside table.

Niall finishes the last of his own tea and turns his body so he can look at Harry, “No? Hm. I guess I figured it would be like in the movies. Ya know, once you get injured you have no choice but to see a shrink.”

Harry turns his head to look at Niall, his cheek resting on his knee now. He smiled wryly, “It’s exactly like that. A Navy shrink visited me a few times while I was in the hospital. I wouldn’t talk. After that I was medically discharged and they couldn’t force me to do anything. The shrink is still available to me. I get my pension and my benefits still. It’s up to me to go see the shrink if I want. I didn’t want.”

Niall nods slowly, lifting a hand to chew on his nails like he always does when he’s nervous or just thinking about something. After a moment he hums and says, “I’ve never seen a shrink before. I think I’d like to, though.”

“Really?” Harry looks at Niall sceptically.

“Yeah,” Niall shrugged, “Think about it. You can say whatever you want and not get judged. Plus it’s all confidential. They legally can’t tell anyone what you say unless you’re planning to hurt yourself or someone else. It would be a perfect way to get stuff off your chest and even get some advice if you wanted it. I think it would be fascinating as well, to see how they work. I’ve always wondered. Being a criminal psychologist must be really fascinating. Imagine having a chat with Charles Manson or Ted Bundy. Jesus.”

Harry snorted, “Since they’re both dead I think you’d need a ouija board not a degree in psychology for that.”

Niall looked at Harry, a mischievous look in his eyes, “Should we go get one tomorrow?”

Harry’s eyes widened and he cackled with laughter, reaching out with one hand to smack Niall on the arm, “No, for fuck’s sake! You’re a menace!”

Niall laughs, too, his eyes glued to Harry’s face and those dimples that he so desperately wants to kiss. Harry Styles is a beautiful man, a beautiful man that Niall is finding he can’t get enough of. If he’s not careful he’s going to end up with deeper feelings that he can’t ignore and end up getting hurt by this beautiful man. When Harry is sitting next to him, laughing and smiling so openly, Niall can’t help but think it would all be worth it.

“Sorry,” Niall says sheepishly when his giggling finally tapers off, “I said I wouldn’t talk, that I’d just listen and here I am going on and on with nonsense.”

“I don’t mind,” Harry says quietly, a soft smile on his face, “I like it actually. I like that you speak your mind and say whatever you’re thinking. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. It’s been really nice so...thank you for that.”

Niall swallowed hard and looked down at his lap when he felt himself blushing, “I haven’t done anything really. I feel a bit helpless when I hear you shouting and I know you’re stuck in what is most likely a horrible dream. You probably don’t want to hear this but I care about you and I can’t stand around and watch you suffer yet I don’t know what to do to help you. All I can do is offer you my ear and let you know you can trust me.”

A minute passes, then two, then Niall feels Harry’s hand slip into his and he looks up, right into Harry’s sincere green eyes as he whispers, “I do trust you. God, Niall, I don’t even understand it but I trust you completely. I’ve had family, friends, and doctors all try to talk to me and none of them have made me feel as comfortable as you do. I just - “

“You just what?” Niall asks softly, daring to raise his hand and cup Harry’s cheek.

Harry sighs and closes his eyes, turning his head slightly and nuzzling his cheek against Niall’s hand, “The way I’m feeling goes against everything I’ve been taught. It goes against all my training and I’m afraid if I give in I’ll completely lose focus and something will happen to you.”

“I don’t believe that. I’ve never felt more safe in my life than when I’m with you,” Niall says softly, “I don’t believe you won’t keep me safe just because we’ve developed feelings between us. You’ll still be you and I’ll still feel completely safe.”

Harry opened his eyes and met Niall’s steady gaze with his own. He nuzzled his cheek even more against Niall’s hand, turning just enough to press his lips against the palm of Niall’s hand. It was a barely there kiss but Niall could feel it all the way down to his toes. “I don’t know, Niall. I’m - I’m a broken man already. If something happened to you on my watch...it would destroy me.”

Niall moved closer and cupped Harry’s face with both hands, “Harry...look, I don’t know what’s happening between us. I don’t know where it will lead. I do know that I care about you and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we kissed. Hell - I was thinking about you all the time even before that! I think, maybe, we could have something great someday but not if we don’t try. I know you’re scared - I am too - but we’ll have each other and we’ll be in this together every step of the way.”

Harry groans and closes his eyes, biting down on his bottom lip, “Niallllll,” He whined, “Why are you making this so difficult for me?”

Niall giggles and leans in to place a quick kiss on Harry’s nose, “I’m _trying_ to show you how _easy_ it could be if you’d just let yourself let go for once. I know it must be hard when you have so much training and spent so many years in the military doing things a certain way. You’re not in the military anymore though, you’re out and there’s no rules anymore. There’s nobody telling you you can’t give in to whatever you’re feeling toward me. I believe you can still protect me even if we’re involved. I trust you one hundred percent. Now you just need to trust yourself, your skills and your instincts.”

Harry is quiet for a long time and Niall lets him. He knows Harry is thinking this through very carefully. As a military man he must be going through so many scenarios in his head, weighing the pros and cons, making sure he can still do what he was hired to do. Niall understands. Harry is a good, honourable man and Niall certainly can’t complain about that.

“I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you either,” Harry says after awhile, a small smile on his face, “I haven’t felt this way since I was a teenager. I joined the Navy when I was eighteen and I was gone so much I didn’t bother getting into any relationships while I was at home. Casual flings, no feelings except maybe a general fondness for the other person.”

“Yeah?” Niall grins, “And even though you can’t stop thinking about me it hasn’t affected your job has it? Just last week a car backfired on the street and you had me pushed behind you with one hand and reached for your gun with the other - all in a split second! That was fucking hot by the way. Wank material for sure.”

Harry let out a loud honk of laughter that had Niall feeling entirely way too endeared. Perhaps that’s why he suddenly decided to roll his body over on top of Harry’s and pin his arms down while he kissed his dimples over and over and over again, making Harry laugh even harder, “Harry Styles,” Niall says when he finally decides to give Harry a break, “You do have the loveliest smile I’ve ever seen.”

Harry grinned up at him, leaving Niall no choice but to kiss both of his dimples one more time. Harry laughed his high pitched laugh again and reciprocated by kissing the dimple in Niall’s chin, “That’s funny. I was thinking the exact same thing about your smile Niall Horan.”

Niall grins back and the two men lay there grinning at each other like idiots until they both burst out laughing and Harry surprises Niall by breaking free from Niall’s hold and flipping them over, “Now I’ve got you!” Harry says gleefully.

Niall smiles up at Harry fondly, “You can ya know? Have me. If you want me.”

Harry’s expression turns serious and he leans down, kissing Niall’s lips softly before pulling back an inch and whispering, “I do. So much.”

Niall doesn’t respond, just stares into Harry’s eyes for a long moment, then he cups the back of Harry’s head with one hand, sliding his fingers into his soft, luscious hair and pulls him down for a longer kiss, a proper kiss. A kiss that has their tongues moving together slowly, gently, seductively. A kiss that has them both moaning softly into each other’s mouths and has Harry’s hand slipping up Niall’s shirt to caress the soft skin of his stomach gently.

“Fuck,” Niall whispers when they pull apart to breathe, his hands moving slowly up and down Harry’s naked back.

“Yeah,” Harry agrees, kissing along Niall’s jawline, “You’re incredible. I don’t want to stop touching you.”

“You don’t have to,” Niall says, nibbling gently on Harry’s ear, “I think maybe we need to cool it on the kissing for awhile though. Before this moves into territory where I’m not going to be able to stop.”

Harry stops kissing Niall’s jaw and smiles, “I know. We shouldn’t rush anything right?”

“Right,” Niall agreed, “It’s late, we’re both exhausted, you had a horrible nightmare. I think we should get some sleep and talk more in the morning. Let’s take our time with this and see where it goes.”

Harry nods, biting down on his lip, “I really like that idea. It’s like - it’s like you knew that’s what I need.”

Niall shrugged and gave Harry one last kiss before Harry rolled off of him and back onto the bed, “I’m pretty good at reading people usually.”

“Hey,” Harry reached for Niall’s hand and linked their fingers together, “Would it be too much to ask you to sleep here tonight?”

Niall smiled at Harry and brought their joined hands up to his lips, kissing the back of Harry’s hand, “I’d love that. Let me bring these dishes out and brush my teeth then I’ll be back in okay?”

Harry nodded and let go of Niall so he could bring the tray with their cups out to the kitchen. As he put everything away, Niall couldn’t help but grin to himself, putting a hand on his stomach when it filled with butterflies at the thought of kissing Harry. This felt good, it felt right, and Niall couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring for them.

About ten minutes later, Niall was finished in the bathroom and went back into Harry’s room to find him under the covers and laying on his side. Niall got into bed beside him and spooned him from behind, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear, “This okay?”

Harry linked his fingers with the hand Niall had resting on Harry’s stomach and seemed to make his body even smaller as he moved back against Niall, “Yeah. It’s what I was hoping for.”

Niall grinned and held Harry tighter. He’d probably be too warm later on in the night but he didn’t care. Being close to Harry felt good. “Sleep well, Harry.”

“Goodnight, Niall,” Harry said, then they were quiet, both breathing softly as they drifted off to sleep.

  
~~~

  
For the first time in a very long time, Harry couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Niall was still asleep but Harry has been up for an hour now, has already worked out and gotten a shower, and the whole time all he did was smile like an idiot. Even now, as he tries to navigate Niall’s kitchen to make them both breakfast, he’s grinning like he just won the lottery. It’s all thanks to Niall, of course, and Harry can’t wait for him to wake up so they can just...be together, talking, learning more about each other, and figuring out where things stand between them.

Harry is flipping the last batch of pancakes ten minutes later when he hears a door open and close. He grins because he knows that means Niall is awake and will be out soon, so he grabs the plates and utensils from next to the stove where he left them and brings them over to the table. After that he pours the boiled water into cups for tea then he gathers the plate of pancakes that are keeping warm in the oven and puts them in the middle of the table.

“Mornin’” Niall enters the kitchen a minute later, “Smells brilliant in here. I’m starvin’ too! Could shove that plate of pancakes in me mouth right now.”

Harry laughs and looks down at his feet rather shy like, “There’s plenty so dig in.”

“Oh I will,” Niall says but he doesn’t sit down. He walks over to Harry and slides his arms around Harry’s waist, “I want to kiss you first. It’s rather new to me - seeing this less serious side to you. It’s quite endearing.”

Harry wraps his arms around Niall, grinning into the kiss like an idiot. When Niall pulls back, Harry clears his throat and says, “It’s been a long time since this side of me has come out for anyone but my goddaughter. I just...”

“Hey. You don’t have to explain. Not to me. When it comes to your time in the military, I’ll always be ready to listen but only when you’re ready to talk about it. For now...” Niall grins and steps back from Harry, “Let’s enjoy these pancakes you made and you can tell me about your goddaughter. I want to hear about her. I only know her name is Sami.”

Harry takes a seat at the table perpendicular to Niall, a big smile stretching across his face at the mention of Sami. He loves being a godfather and takes his role very seriously. He promised to always be there for Sami and that’s a promise he always intends to keep. He developed a bond with that little girl the moment he first got to meet her and hold her in his arms and there were times while in the Middle East that that bond kept him going. Knowing this little girl whom he swore to always protect was at home in England, waiting for him to come back, is what kept him sane when he thought he couldn’t take anymore.

“She must be something special if she’s put that big smile on your face,” Niall says with a twinkle in his eye as he fills his plate with pancakes.

“She is,” Harry said, reaching to grab some pancakes for his own plate, “I didn’t get to meet her until she was six months old because I was in Afghanistan but the moment I did meet her and her Mum handed her to me - well, it was love at first sight.”

Niall finished chewing his food and drank some tea before smiling fondly at Harry, “I understand that feeling. I have a nephew. He’s four now. When he was born I was lucky that we had a few days off from the band. I got to see him and hold him the very day he was born and I can’t even describe how I felt. I just knew in that moment that I would do whatever I could to protect him and be there for him. If he or his parents need anything they know I’m only a phone call away.”

Harry nodded and smiled sadly, “It was that way for me, too, unfortunately I wasn’t just a phone call away. Not until this past year. I’ve spent a ton of time with Sami this year. I suspect being with her kept me sane through all my PT. “

“Being with children is always uplifting isn’t it? How old is Sami? I guess you’re good friends with her parents or you wouldn’t be her godfather,” Niall said.

Harry nodded again, taking his time chewing before he answered, “Sami is seven now. Her Mum, Jennifer - I call her Jenny, has been my best mate since we were fifteen. She actually met Sami’s father through me. We went through training together in the Navy.”

Niall is quiet for a full minute before he speaks again, “Judging by the look on your face I’m guessing this doesn’t end well. If you’d rather not talk about it I understand.”

Harry smiles gratefully at Niall and reaches over to place his hand on top of Niall’s, “It’s okay. It’s - Danny was killed in action but that’s not what I’ve been dreaming about, if that’s what you’re thinking. Once we finished training we went separate ways and were in different units in the Navy. I wasn’t there when he was killed. I used to wish I was because I thought maybe I could have done something to prevent it but I gave up that thinking a long time ago. He was killed by an IED. The truth is, if I’d been there I’d be dead too and then Sami would have no male figure in her life at all. Danny didn’t even know about Sami ya know? He was killed right at the beginning of a deployment. Jenny didn’t even know she was pregnant until after the funeral.”

Niall slowly laid his fork down on his plate and sat back in his chair, letting out a long breath as he looked over at Harry, “Christ. Harry...that’s a lot.” He stops, shakes his head, and pushes a hand through his hair making it stand up on his head, “I mean, you were fighting a war in a dangerous place, your friend died, then you had to be away from your best mate who just lost that same person and found out she was pregnant with his child after he was gone. How are you still functioning? I think I’d be lost to the drink from all that.”

“I don’t know,” Harry says eventually, “I just...got through it. Jenny needed me. Even though I was far away sometimes she still needed me. We talked on the phone and video chat. She said hearing my voice and knowing her baby would have me gave her strength. She made me promise not to die. She wasn’t pleased when Mum called her to let her know I had been injured and was being brought home for treatment. Mum refused to repeat any of the words she said.”

Niall laughed and picked up his fork to finish his breakfast, “Gave you hell did she? I like her already!”

Harry shook his head and laughed along with Niall, “You two would be thick as thieves I reckon. She was born here but her parents are Irish. Moved here before she was born. She’s very Irish because of that. Cursing and all.”

Niall grinned and his eyes practically sparkled, “An Irish lass! I hope I’ll get to meet her sometime.”

“She’d enjoy meeting you I think,” Harry says, wiping the corners of his mouth with a napkin, “She took Sami to your show back when you did one here in London. Sami is a fan of One Direction.”

“Oh yes, I remember when we first met you telling me you only took the job because your goddaughter was a big fan,” Niall said with a smirk on his face.

Harry groaned and tipped his head back, chuckling a bit at himself, “I did say that, didn’t I? It’s true, it’s true. I honestly thought you were going to be an entitled pop star who drank fifty dollar bottles of water and treated everyone like crap.”

“Proved you wrong didn’t I?” Niall laughed at the look on Harry’s face, “I’m not offended by it. A lot of people think that. Probably because there _are_ people like that in the industry. I’m just not one of them.”

“No,” Harry said softly, a small smile on his face, “You’re definitely not one of them.”

Niall smiles back at him, then they finish their breakfast in comfortable silence before moving into the sitting room with fresh cups of tea.

“So,” Harry begins when they’re sitting on Niall’s large couch together, Niall facing the tv with his legs stretched out in front of him and Harry at the other end, lifting Niall’s feet onto his lap, “No point in beating around the bush. You already know I’m blunt and to the point so...what are we doing?” Harry pauses before adding, “And don’t give me one of your cheeky answers either.”

Niall tips his head back and laughs loudly, showing off the dimple in his chin that Harry wants to bite so badly. What else is new? He’s finding there are many places on Niall Horan’s body that he’d like to sink his teeth into - his perky little bum being number one on his list.

“It’s been a month and half and you already know me so well,” Niall says eventually, still laughing a little.

Harry shrugs, a small smirk on his face, “We’ve literally spent almost every waking moment together. I’ve noticed a few things.”

“Fair enough,” Niall says, his expression turning serious, “Look, Harry, here’s what I know. I’m really attracted to you and as I’ve seen you slowly open up and share bits and pieces of yourself with me and with the team on tour, I’ve come to like you...a lot. I can’t be anymore honest and clear cut than that. If you’re willing to let your guard down a bit and give us a shot I’d really like that.”

Harry nods slowly and chews on his bottom lip while he thinks. Niall is right - he definitely can’t be anymore transparent than he has been. He’s put his cards on the table and what he said is consistent with what he said to Harry earlier that morning when they were in Harry’s bed after he had another nightmare. Harry doesn’t doubt he can trust Niall and if he’s being honest he really wants to see where things go with Niall. Maybe now that he’s out of the Navy it’s time he start thinking about a real relationship again.

“Yeah,” Harry finally says, looking over at Niall and feeling really vulnerable for the first time in a long time. It didn’t scare him, though. It made him feel alive, really alive, for the first time in a long time, “I’d like to give us a shot too.”

“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page then.” Niall grinned, his grin turning into a cringe a moment later that had Harry confused.

“What?”

Niall sighed and swiped a hand over his face before continuing, “I just - there’s something I need to tell you first before you really, truly, decide to give us a shot. I should have told you all of this first. I’m so sorry.”

Harry doesn’t panic. If his training taught him anything it was definitely how _not_ to panic. Instead he squeezes Niall’s foot gently and smiles at him reassuringly, “How about you tell me what you need to tell me and we’ll go from there? No need to apologize.”

Niall nods and takes a deep breath before speaking, “Okay. So, I’m not out yet. It’s only been the past two years I’ve discovered my attraction to men. I did the x-factor and joined the band when I was sixteen. From then on my life became a whirlwind. It wasn’t until we took a break that I had time to sit down, live life and really, truly, get to know myself. Over the past two years I’ve slowly been coming to terms with the fact that I’m Bi-sexual and because of that I haven’t really told anybody. Sean knows and two of my cousins Willie and Deo who are best mates to me and Gerry recently found out by accident. That’s it. I haven’t told my family yet or Louis, Liam and Zayn.”

Harry studies Niall’s face while he speaks, taking in all the information he’s being given. He’s not worried - not at all. Niall is a straight shooter just like himself and Harry can see Niall is being honest with him. He also thinks he knows enough about Niall’s character by now to know Niall isn’t stringing him along. Still - it doesn’t hurt to make sure everything is said and out in the open. “I don’t care that you’re not out, Niall. As long as the reason isn’t that you’re ashamed or not one hundred percent sure. I’m not interested in getting involved with someone who is going to decide in a year they’re not gay after all.”

Niall immediately shook his head and said with complete and total conviction, “I can promise you it’s not for either of those reasons. I’m not ashamed of who I am and there’s definitely no chance I’ll ever change my mind. I like men. End of story. There’s no going back for me.”

Harry smiled and slid his hand up over Niall’s ankle, gently rubbing circles over his skin with his thumb, “Then it really doesn’t matter to me that you’re not out to everyone yet. That’s not something you can rush. You have to do it on your own time.”

“I just...haven’t had a reason to. Sean, Willie, and Deo know because I needed to talk to someone about it. I was struggling to figure myself out and it helps me to talk it through and hear my thoughts out loud. They were my sounding board when I was figuring out I like men,” Niall explained. Then, with a smirk on his face, he looked at Harry, “As for Gerry, he found out by accident because I was muttering to myself about how ridiculous you look in a pair of tight jeans.”

Harry laughed and grinned at Niall, his dimples showing, “I do enjoy a good pair of jeans that fit like a glove.”

Niall snorted, “I fucking noticed! Actually, I noticed you’re quite good with fashion. It’s probably none of my business but how the hell do you go around in Gucci and Yves St. Laurent worth thousands on a Navy salary?”

Harry cackled and leaned over so that the upper part of his body was laying across Niall’s legs, “You’re not the first person to wonder about that. My Mum’s granddad had a lot of money. When he died he left her some as well as some for me and my sister. It sat in investments my whole life and once I became an adult I gained control of it. I don’t use it much. Mostly for clothes. My guilty pleasure. A friend got me into it actually. I was a terrible dresser as a teenager. You probably know him.”

Niall moved over and gestured for Harry to move up on the couch next to him. The couch was huge and certainly wide enough for two people so Harry obliged and sat up next to Niall with his legs stretched out in front of him and intertwined with Niall’s. When he was settled, Niall turned to him with a frown on his face, “How would I know any of your friends?”

“He works in the radio. Nick Grimshaw,” Harry says, watching as Niall’s eyes grow wide and a look of disbelief crosses his face.

“Grimmy? You and Grimmy are friends? Are you serious??”

“Yes,” Harry laughed, “We grew up around the same area. He’s a few years older than me but we knew each other and ended up running into each other here in London. He - okay I might as well tell you this now and get it out of the way. I was never interested in relationships when I’d come home in between deployments. He was also not interested in a relationship when he was in his twenties, so whenever I was home we had a friends with benefits arrangement. We ended that about three years ago though. He hit thirty and decided he was getting old and wanted to try dating for real. We stayed best mates though. I hope that’s not too weird for you.”

Niall’s mouth is hanging open but he looks amused more than anything so Harry relaxes, “You and Nick Grimshaw? Jesus Christ. You realize next time I have an interview on his show I’m going to torture him by saying stuff on air that only he’ll understand? Oh my God it’ll be brilliant!”

Harry cackles and hides his face in Niall’s neck, “Please make sure I’m there or listening at least.”

“Oh you’ll be there! Right in his line of sight if I have anything to do with it! He’ll want to kill the both of us by the time we leave. You can protect me from him,” Niall says gleefully.

Harry smiles and wraps an arm around Niall’s shoulders, pulling him close and kissing his temple, “I’ll always protect you. I really do like you a lot, Niall. Maybe even a bit more than I’m willing to admit to myself yet.”

Niall curled his body into his and Harry shivered when he felt Niall’s lips kiss his neck, “Well I’ll be here liking you right back when you’re ready to fully admit it to yourself.”

Harry smiled and gently pulled Niall away from him so he could cup Niall’s face in his hands, “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Niall smiled softly, his blue eyes sparkling bright, “I’m going to let you.”

As Harry inched closer, they both giggled softly and as his lips touched Niall’s and they both sunk into the kiss, Harry knew something special was happening. He had fallen into something - _someone_ \- completely amazing and he would do everything he possibly could to hold on to it.

  
~~~

  
Later on that day, Niall wanted to get his Christmas tree up and his house decorated since it was already the middle of December. Harry offered to help so now his sitting room looks like something exploded in it since there are decorations laid around everywhere while Niall decides where he wants to put everything.

Things are progressing a bit slowly at the moment. Niall blames it on the fact that Harry had come out of his bedroom wearing a sleeveless shirt and a bandana in his hair to keep it back off his forehead. Niall is trying to organize his thoughts and decide what he wants and where but Harry keeps bringing in more boxes and all Niall can do is stare at the way his biceps bulge.

“Okay. That’s the last box from the storage area in your garage,” Harry says as he lays the last box down on the floor, “What do you want me to do next? Is there a certain way you like to set everything up?”

Niall swallowed hard and cleared his throat before he spoke, “Um. Yeah. I - I got some new stuff last year, though, when I was home in Ireland. I want to throw out a few old decorations and use the new ones so I haven’t decided where to put everything yet.”

“Okay,” Harry shrugged, “I’ll just start taking stuff out of boxes and you can tell me where you want it when you’ve decided.”

Niall groaned and covered his reddening cheeks with his hands because ‘tell me where you want it’? Really? Harry was going to kill him.

“You okay?” Harry asks, a look of confusion on his face.

“No,” Niall moaned, taking his hands away from his face and glaring at Harry, “How am I meant to organize anything when you’re over there looking like that?”

Harry’s mouth dropped open and a complete look of bafflement crossed his face, “Like what? I’m wearing joggers and a shirt. I wasn’t aware there was some sort of dress code. You’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt.”

Niall huffs, crosses his arms over his chest and rolls his eyes, “There’s no fucking dress code. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m talking about you flaunting your biceps around everywhere. I’m only human ya know?”

Harry’s brow furrows and he lifts his arms to look at them, “My - oh my God!” Harry starts cackling, slowly making his way over to Niall who was standing next to his naked tree, “Are you distracted by me? Hmm? You like it when I lift things?”

“Shut up,” Niall grumbles, the corner of his mouth twitching as he struggles not to laugh at how ridiculous this all is. Being around Harry made his hormones go wild and he’s acting like a teenager again.

“Come here,” Harry reaches for Niall and pulls him in, his large hands circling around Niall’s hips. He leans in and kisses Niall softly a few times then noses his way along Niall’s jaw to his ear, “You distract me, too, you know? All the damn time. I’ve always got to remind myself I need to stay alert and do my job but it’s hard when I have you to look at.”

Niall shivers and his breath hitches when he hears Harry’s deep voice in his ear - feels his hot breath on his skin. He closes his eyes and holds on to Harry tight, his hands fisting the hem of Harry’s shirt, “Really?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Harry slid his hands around to Niall’s back, sneaking them up under his shirt so he could caress Niall’s bare skin. He nipped at Niall’s ear playfully, then kissed along his jaw until he was back to Niall’s lips, “You sound surprised.”

Niall opened his eyes and looked into Harry’s, not wanting to be looking down or away when he explains his insecurities to Harry. He really, _really_ , likes this man and trusts him completely so he wants to be honest right from the start, “I...don’t actually see myself as any great catch, despite what my fans think of me. I’ve been called a sex symbol and all that stuff but...I guess it’s just hard for me to see past the scrawny sixteen year old with the shaggy, bleached blond hair and crooked teeth.”

Harry’s expression turns serious, his eyes intense and boring into Niall’s. The next thing Niall knows, he’s being lifted off his feet into Harry’s arms and carried over to the sofa where Harry sits down with Niall in his lap, “I don’t see you that way at all, baby. There’s plenty about your physical appearance that I can’t get enough of. Your eyes are the most brilliant blue for starters. Then there’s your hair and how wavy it gets sometimes. You play with it a lot and it drives me crazy. I want to be the one running my fingers through your hair.”

Harry holds on to him with one hand while lifting his other to run through Niall’s hair. He did this with the softest, fondest smile on his face that had Niall’s heart pumping out of his chest and his stomach swooping repeatedly, “Then,” Harry continues, his fingers leaving Niall’s hair and coming down to trace his jawline with his index finger, “Then there’s this jawline of yours that I want to bite and kiss constantly,” He leans in and kisses slowly down Niall’s jawline, demonstrating exactly what he was talking about, “Love this scruff, too,” he murmurs, brushing his thumb over Niall’s chin and cheek, “I love a man with a beard. I like to feel it against my skin...everywhere.”

“Christ,” Niall mutters, feeling himself getting turned on, not only by Harry’s words but by his sexy, deep, slow voice. It was doing things to Niall, things he’s never felt so intensely before.

“Then there’s these lips,” Harry says, dragging his thumb over Niall’s bottom lip, “That night when we first kissed? I laid awake all night thinking about how your lips felt on mine, the way you kissed me back so passionately. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted to feel your lips all over my body. I bet you could make me feel so good.”

“Harry,” Niall whimpered, his hands coming up to cup Harry’s face and pull him in for a kiss, “God. I - “

“Shhh,” Harry shushes him with his lips, kissing him over and over again until Niall feels like he’s on fire, “I’m not done yet. Those are just some of the physical things I like about you. You’re gorgeous, Niall, but what really attracts me to you is just _you_. It’s who you are. You wake up everyday and you’re happy, smiling, ready to go. Your laugh fills a room and people laugh right along with you - even when they have no idea what they’re laughing about - because your laugh is just so infectious. Your smile can brighten anybody’s day and you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met. Your fans adore you, yes, but so do your friends, family, and your team. All of us on tour - we work for you but it never feels like that. You make us feel like a big family and that’s why everyone adores you. You’re an incredible man, Niall, and I’m going to make it my mission to prove it to you.”

Niall is absolutely speechless. Never in his life has anyone said such things to him with so much conviction and sincerity. Looking at Harry and seeing the look in his eyes left no doubt that he was telling the truth. He wasn’t simply saying all this to make Niall feel better. He really, truly sees Niall in that way and right now, sitting on Harry’s lap in his very own sitting room, with Christmas decorations everywhere, he’s never felt sexier.

Perhaps that is why he finds himself moving around in Harry’s lap until he’s straddling Harry and pushing him back against the couch cushions. Harry looks up at him with a small smirk on his face, his hands on Niall’s lower back, dangerously close to Niall’s ass. Niall wants him to grab it but he doesn’t say that. Instead he surges forward and kisses Harry hard, wasting no time getting his hands on those biceps and feeling every single muscle. They both waste no time opening up to each other and soon they’re heavily snogging, Harry’s hands finally sliding down and grabbing on to Niall’s ass just like he wanted.

“Fuck,” Niall moaned against Harry’s lips, “Fuck that feels so good.”

Harry laughs breathlessly, kissing along Niall’s jaw as he says, “Trust me - it feels just as good from my end. Been wanting to get my hands on your perky little ass for ages now.”

Harry emphasizes this by squeezing Niall’s ass with both hands, then pulling him forward enough to have their hardening cocks grinding together through their clothes, “Oh God!” Niall threw his head back, moaning loudly and not giving a fuck how desperate he looked, “Again! Do that again!”

Harry looked up at Niall, awe and a bit of wonderment on his face. He squeezed Niall’s ass cheeks again then lifted one hand and brought it back down again, slapping him through the fabric of his shorts. When Niall moaned even loader this time, and started grinding down hard onto Harry’s cock, Harry cursed and buried his face in Niall’s neck, leaving open mouth kisses everywhere, “God, baby, you really like that hmm? Like when I grab you like that?”

Niall groaned and continued to grind down on Harry, his hands gripping Harry’s shoulders so hard his knuckles were turning white, “Fuck, H, you have no idea.”

Harry bit down on Niall’s shoulder before pulling back to look up at Niall with raised eyebrows, “Oh I think I’m getting the picture. It’s a damn fine picture, too. Look so good, so sexy right now, baby.”

Niall bit down on his lip to keep from crying out again but when Harry manhandled his ass again, Niall was powerless to control himself and half moaned, half cried out. His whole body felt like it was on fire right now, his hormones completely out of control. He’s never felt like this before. Never had someone put their hands on him like this before. None of the women he’s been with were rough and the one guy he’s been with - well they really didn’t get this far. They had sex but it was really just basic sex since Niall didn’t really know what he was doing. The guy was also more his size, not big and muscular like Harry, so Niall had never really thought of asking to be manhandled a bit. Apparently he should have because he really fucking likes it and is really fucking close to getting off on it.

“This is - “ Niall sucks in a breath and moans out a ‘ _yeah_ ’ when Harry slips his hands inside Niall’s shorts and his large hands are now grabbing onto his bare ass, kneading and pulling his cheeks apart, “I’ve never - this is nothing like being with a woman. They have small hands and - it’s usually me grabbing onto their asses not - not the other way around.”

Harry hums against Niall’s skin, kissing his way back to Niall’s lips and kissing him filthily for a minute before pulling back, “You like being with someone bigger than you hmm? Like how my hands are big enough to cover your whole ass? Give it a good squeeze and a smack,” Harry smacks him again and Niall swears he must have come in his pants he felt so fucking good, but when he gathered himself he could feel he was still rock hard and hadn’t come yet.

Niall curses again and runs his hands down Harry’s arms to the hem of his shirt, tugging on it impatiently, “Off. Get it off. I’ve already felt your arms. I want to feel the rest of you up now.”

Harry laughed and did what Niall asked, lifting his shirt off over his head and tossing it onto the floor, “That better?”

Niall managed to stop himself from grinding down on Harry’s cock long enough to sit back and admire how beautiful Harry is. He’s well built, that’s for damn sure. His chest is fantastic and his abs well defined. What Niall really loved the most, though, was the flesh above Harry’s hips. There was a bit of pudge there, enough to grab onto, and it made Harry softer. Just like his smile always made him appear softer and not so stoic.

Niall licked his lips and reached out, running his fingers down over the sparse hair on Harry’s chest then down toward his abs where he traced each one with his index finger, “I feel like I should write an e-mail to the Royal Navy, thanking them for keeping you so fit.”

Harry barked out a laugh, his eyes sparkling as he stared up at Niall, “I’m glad you approve.”

Niall hums and continues to move his fingers all over Harry’s chest and stomach, “I can’t believe it took me until I was twenty-two to figure out how much I love a man’s body. I like - I like that you’re bigger than me, that you’re more muscular and taller, that you can cover my body with yours so easily. I...like how you can lift me with no trouble at all. It’s - _you’re_ incredible.”

Harry smiled at him and tilted his head up for a kiss that was slow and languid, tender and sweet. It was everything Niall wanted and his heart was so full right now he could barely take it, “Well what a coincidence,” Harry says when they break away from the kiss, “I happen to like that you’re smaller than me, that you’re the perfect size and height to fit into my arms. I also really, _really_ like that my body can cover yours and that I can carry you around whenever I want. You know what the best part is though? Discovering what you like right along with you. You didn’t know you like to be grabbed this way did you?”

Harry’s got Niall’s shorts and boxers pulled down over his ass by now and he smacks him with his hand again before grabbing both his ass cheeks in his large hands. Niall moans and inadvertently moves forward, grinding against Harry’s cock again and sending pleasure throughout his whole body, “Fuck!” Niall cursed lowly, “I need - I want - “

Shhh,” Harry kisses his lips again to shush him, “I know what you want, what you need. I’m going to take care of you, baby, I promise. Lift up a bit.” Harry taps his bum and Niall lifts up enough for Harry to push Niall’s shorts and boxers further down, completely exposing his ass and his cock. Next, Harry pulls his own joggers and boxers down to his knees and Niall is finally getting a look at Harry’s big cock, hard and glistening at the tip, “Okay, baby, come here.”

Niall sits back down and slides forward over Harry’s legs, unable to blink or even breathe as he watches Harry spit into his hand then reach down and take both their cocks in his hand. Niall’s breath hitches when Harry squeezes and judging by the feeling he already has in the pit of his stomach he’s not going to last very long.

Niall begins to move, like he’s fucking Harry’s hand, and Harry encourages him with filthy words and hungry kisses. It’s incredibly sexy to Niall, and filthy, and he likes that - he really fucking likes it.

“Yeah, baby, that’s it,” Harry murmurs near his ear as he presses kisses along Niall’s neck, his jaw, his chin, and finally his lips. His free hand is kneading and grabbing at Niall’s ass cheek, “You’re so good. You keep moving like that you’re going to get us both off.”

And that’s exactly what Niall wants, what he _needs_. He needs to get off but he wants Harry to get off too. So he moves his hips faster, fucking into Harry’s hand harder, his hands running up and down over Harry’s chest, his thumbs tweaking his nipples. When Harry moans, Niall does it again, then leans down and sucks a nipple between his lips, the sound Harry makes sending white hot heat to the pit of his stomach. He smirked a bit around the nipple, loving the fact he figured out something Harry clearly enjoyed.

“Fuck, baby,” Harry moans, his own hips moving on the couch in time with Niall’s, “Gonna make me come like that.”

Niall is so close, so fucking close. He fucks into Harry’s hand as fast as he can, dragging his mouth away from Harry’s nipple and up to his lips. He kisses Harry and it’s messy and sloppy, the both of them breathing hard and heavy. Heat is pooling in the pit of Niall’s stomach and he knows he’s about to come. He holds onto Harry for dear life and moans into his mouth as his orgasm hits him, wave after wave of pleasure taking over his body.

Harry isn’t long behind him, a few more tugs and he’s coming too. Niall is exhausted and his limbs feel like dead weight but he manages to kiss Harry through it until he goes still and they’re both just sitting there sweating and breathing heavily against each other.

After awhile, Harry cups Niall’s neck in his hand and kisses him on the forehead, “You feel good like this. In my arms. I like it. A lot.”

Niall smiles and wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, hugging him close and burying his face in Harry’s neck, “I really like it, too. It’s everything I thought it would be and so much more.”

Harry presses his lips to Niall’s hair, kissing him softly and gently rubbing his hand up and down Niall’s bare back, “I would love to stay here with you all day but I’ve still got come all over my hand and one thing I’ve learned about you is you’re OCD about everything being clean. I’m thinking you don’t want jizz all over your couch.”

Niall sat back, a disgusted look on his face, “God, no! Yeah, let’s go clean up please.”

Harry laughs and steals one last kiss from Niall before Niall extricates himself from Harry’s lap, taking care not to trip in his shorts that were down around his shins. He laughs while he’s trying to kick them away and looks up in time to see Harry standing up from the couch, his joggers dropping completely to his ankles and showing off his gorgeous naked body.

“When I started all this I had planned on blowing you,” Niall says suddenly, unable to control his mouth while Harry’s cock is right in front of him, “I’m really feeling sorry for myself that I didn’t make it that far.”

Harry’s eyes widened, then a moment later he was cackling with laughter, high pitched laughter that was so different from his low speaking voice it had Niall shaking his head and chuckling along with him. How could it be possible for this man to be sexy and cute all at the same time?

“I’m glad you’re enjoying my pain,” Niall jokes when Harry stops laughing.

Harry shakes his head, “‘M not. It’s just - the disappointed look on your face and the way you said it...you just always catch me by surprise. I like that about you.”

Niall smiled and shrugged his shoulders, fully aware that he was naked in front of Harry and about to start blushing because he still can’t take a compliment properly. He ducks his head, takes a deep breath, then looks back up, deciding to just move along as if he isn’t blushing like a teenager, “Shower?” He says, pointing towards the back of his house where the bedrooms are.

Harry lifts an eyebrow, a lazy smile on his face, “Are you inviting me to share with you?”

“Obviously,” Niall rolls his eyes playfully, “I’m not going to pass up the chance to see you all wet. I’m not stupid.”

Harry laughs that high pitched laugh again, then the next thing Niall knows he’s getting a smack to his bare arse and Harry’s chasing after him down the hallway toward his bedroom.

When they get inside the bathroom and Niall sees his face in the mirror, he’s pretty sure he’s never looked happier.

  
~~~

  
Niall and Harry eventually get the house decorated for Christmas later that day, which is good because the next day Niall invites his team over to his house for a Christmas party. It’s his way of saying thank you to everyone who is with him day in and day out, helping him achieve his goals. He ordered in plenty of food and drinks and good music wasn’t a problem. He hooked his phone up to his iHome and had a playlist of assorted songs ready to go (including Christmas songs of course) and as usual with his crew everyone was well on their way to enjoying themselves.

“Alright, alright! Everybody pay attention to me for a minute now before ya all get too drunk off yer faces!” Niall yells over the noise while standing on the couch.

Someone turns down the music a bit and everyone gathers around in his sitting room, drinks in hand and smiles on their faces, waiting to hear what he has to say. Niall looks around, his heart feeling full as he looks around at everyone. He’s extremely lucky to have all these people in his life. He couldn’t do what he does without them.

“Now,” Niall starts, clearing his throat a bit, “I’ll try to keep this brief and not get too sappy but if I do yer just gonna have to deal with it.”

There’s laughter throughout the room and Gerry yells for him to get on with it. Niall gives him the finger, sending everyone into more laughter, then he does what the man said and gets on with it, “I just want to say to all of you what a great year it’s been. My album and tour did better than I ever could have imagined and I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Every single one of you played a part in my success and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know I got you all a present. They’re under the tree and we can open them now if you want. Doesn’t matter. I got you all something else as well and I wanted to hand these out now,” Niall says, holding up a stack of white envelopes with their names on it.

Ellie’s is on the top so he calls her up first, then continues on calling out names until everyone has their envelope. He hears gasps from some of the women and curses from some of the men. When he gets back up on the couch he makes eye contact with Harry in the back who is looking at him with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. He has a feeling he’ll be getting an earful from Harry when they’re alone later but he’s prepared for it and not worried. Right now he just wants to enjoy making these important people in his life happy.

“Niall...this is too much,” Ellie says, looking up at him with wide eyes, her cheque held in her right hand.

Niall shook his head, “No it’s not. I want all of you to consider this a Christmas bonus if you want. I don’t care. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and my business manager cut the cheques for me awhile ago now. You all deserve a nice bonus and I wanted to make it happen. It’s important to me so please accept it and do something nice for yourselves.”

Everyone cheered and thanked Niall with hugs and handshakes. Someone turned the music back up and the drinks began to flow, everyone getting into the Christmas spirit as the presents under the tree got passed around. It was exactly the kind of night Niall imagined and he was glad he could make it happen.

“Come with me,” Harry snuck up behind him and whispered in his ear. Niall turned his head, smiling at Harry and letting their fingers brush by their sides. He followed Harry toward the back of the house where the bedrooms were and walked into Harry’s bedroom behind him.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Niall asks him the minute the door is closed, one hand coming up to rest on Harry’s hip.

Harry raises his eyebrows and reaches into the back pocket of his jeans, taking out the cheque Niall had given him, “What’s this about?”

Niall knew this was coming and simply smiled at Harry and leaned in to give him a kiss, “A Christmas bonus. Like I said.”

“Niall. It’s three thousand pounds. That’s - do you think I should be accepting this kind of money from you considering our relationship right now?” Harry asks incredulously.

Niall put his beer down on the nightstand and placed his other hand on Harry’s hip as well, pulling him close and kissing him slowly, “Yes, I do think you should accept it. You earned it just like everyone else and your cheque was done before anything happened between us. Everyone got the same amount so there’s no special treatment or anything.”

“Niall. That’s - “ Harry looked dumbfounded for a moment, then amazed, “You’re incredible. You must have spent at least sixty thousand on bonuses. My God!”

Niall felt himself blushing and immediately ducked his head, “It’s really not a big deal, Harry.” He said, digging his toe into the carpet, “Look, I don’t usually like to talk about money. My parents didn’t have a lot when I was growing up and I was raised to understand the value of a dollar. Now that I’ve made money for myself I don’t like to flaunt it. That’s why I make donations anonymously most of the time. This really isn’t a big deal. I...did good in One Direction. Let’s just put it that way. Treating my employees properly won’t bankrupt me.”

Harry shook his head and cupped Niall’s face in his hands, pulling him into a kiss that had his toes curling into the carpet. When Harry pulled back, Niall was feeling dazed, aroused, and definitely wishing he didn’t have a house full of people.

“You’re so incredible, baby,” Harry whispered, brushing his thumb over Niall’s cheekbone, “You leave me speechless sometimes. You’re so generous. I love that about you.”

Niall cleared his throat and licked his lips to try and get his equilibrium back, “Like I said, it’s really no big deal. Let’s not dwell on it, yeah?”

“Humble too!” Harry smiles, “Okay. I won’t mention it again.”

“Good,” Niall smiled up at Harry, “You can kiss me though.”

Harry wrapped his arms around Niall’s waist, pulling him closer and lifting him up on his tip toes, “My new favourite thing to do.”

“Oh yeah?” Niall grinned as their lips met in a soft kiss.

“Oh definitely, yeah,” Harry murmurs against his lips then he kisses Niall deeply, pulling Niall’s body completely up against his and caressing his lower back under his shirt. Niall immediately sunk into the kiss, losing himself in Harry’s smell, in the way Harry held him, touched him, and the way their tongues tangled together in their mouths.

“I really love kissing you,” Niall says when they break apart, both men breathing heavily.

“I love kissing you, too. Could do it forever,” Harry answers, pecking Niall’s lips over and over again.

“Pick this up after the party?” Niall whispered against Harry’s lips.

“Your bed or mine?” Harry asks cheekily, sliding his hand down and squeezing Niall’s ass.

Niall jumped and laughed loudly, “Does it matter?”

“Nope,” Harry grins and kisses Niall one more time before letting him go, “Alright, go and mingle with your guests. I’ll see you later.”

Niall agrees and leaves Harry’s bedroom with a huge smile on his face.

  
~~~

  
Niall and Harry were both far too drunk and tired to continue their snogging session once all the guests had left Niall’s house. They did end up falling into bed together, though, not waking up until after one o’clock in the afternoon.

Once they had both taken long showers to wake themselves up, and had lots of coffee while they ate their breakfast, Niall decided he was going to tackle the job of cleaning up his house after the party last night. Harry says he’ll help after he brushes his teeth so Niall goes ahead and puts their dirty dishes in the dishwasher while he waits for him.

It’s when he walks past the monitor on his kitchen counter that he stops in his tracks, completely frozen as he notices something off. He slowly turns around with plates still in his hands and takes a closer look at the monitor, his breath catching in his throat as he realizes what’s off. His front gate is opened. Not wide open but it’s opened a few inches and anyone who wanted to could just walk right in.

Taking a shaky breath, Niall manages to move on shaky legs to the counter where he puts the plates down with a loud clatter. His heart is beating wildly in his chest as he thinks about all the possibilities. What if his stalker somehow hacked his security system? What if he’s here right now? What if he was in the house while Harry and Niall were sleeping? What if he was with Harry right this minute? Hurting him?

“Oh God,” Niall whispered, then he took off running for the bedrooms, screaming when he reached the hallway, “Harry?!?! HARRY!!!!”

Harry came running, colliding with Niall in the doorway of his bedroom and nearly knocking him to his feet. Harry reaches out and steadies Niall with hands on both his shoulders, looking into his eyes with an intense look, “Niall? What is it? Tell me.”

Niall is relieved to see that Harry is okay and flings his arms around him, hugging him tight. Harry hugs him back but not for long. He quickly gets Niall out in front of him and looks him in the eye again, asking what happened.

“The security feeds. In the kitchen,” Niall babbles out and Harry takes off, not waiting for Niall to say anymore. Niall follows him, having to run to keep up with Harry’s long stride. When they reach the kitchen, Harry notices right away what’s wrong.

“Come with me,” Harry says, his voice perfectly calm but his expression tense and his jaw clenched. He reaches for Niall’s hand and pulls him along, Niall stumbling a bit in his own feet as he tries to keep up.

“Harry!” Niall is breathing heavy with all the running he’s done in the last two minutes. He suspects fear is contributing as well, “Where are we going? What are you going to do?”

Harry doesn’t say anything until they’re in Niall’s bedroom and he’s checked the en suite, the closet, the window and even under the bed. He turned to Niall, held him by the shoulders and said in a very serious voice, “This room is clear. The windows are locked. When I leave I need you to lock the door behind me, then push your dresser in front of it. Do you understand me?”

Niall looks at him with wide eyes, his hands already beginning to shake, “Harry what - “

“Niall I need to know you understand me. Repeat back to me what I said. This is important,” Harry says firmly.

Niall swallows hard and nods his head, “Okay, okay. Lock the door behind you. Push my dresser in front of it.”

“Good,” Harry nodded curtly, “I’m going to check the house and property from top to bottom. I need you safe while I’m doing that. I can’t be worrying about you. I need to be able to do my job. You are not to leave this room. Do not answer the door to anyone but me. If anyone but me comes to that door you are to call the police immediately. Do you understand?”

Niall nods his head again, somehow gaining strength from Harry’s calmness, “Yes, Yes. Don’t leave this room. Don’t answer to anyone but you. Call the police if someone besides you comes to the door.”

“Good. Now I’m going to be thorough so I may be gone awhile. I need you not to panic. Stay here and stay quiet. Do you have your phone?” Harry asks.

Niall nods and grabs his phone from his pocket.

“Good. I’ll be back. Stay calm,” Harry says, then he kisses Niall quickly and leaves the room, waiting out in the hallway until he hears Niall lock the door and move the dresser.

Now Niall is all alone and even though his bedroom is huge he feels his claustrophobia kicking in. It doesn’t help that it’s so quiet Niall can hear his own heart beating in his ears. He looks around, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, and decides to sit down on the floor in the corner. He pulls his knees up to his chest and concentrates on his breathing to keep himself calm. He goes over a bunch of singing exercises in his head that he’s learned from vocal coaches over the years. He even starts singing his own album in his head. Right from the very beginning. Anything to keep himself calm and to keep from thinking about Harry out there alone and possibly in danger.

He’s all the way up to ‘Since We’re Alone’ and has just about chewed through all his nails when there’s a knock on the door and Harry calls out to let him know it’s safe to come out. A choked off sob escapes him and he scrambles up to his feet, leaving his phone on the floor so he can push the dresser out of the way. When he unlocks and opens the door, he throws himself at Harry, relief flooding his body because he knows the older man is okay.

“Harry,” Niall manages to choke out Harry’s name as he scrambled to get as close to him as he could, “Fuck I was so worried about you. Are you okay? Nothing happened?”

Harry held him tight and kissed his temple, assuring him everything was alright. He didn’t let go until Niall’s body stopped trembling and his breathing returned to normal. That’s when he led Niall out into the sitting room and sat him down on the couch. That’s when he noticed something off about Harry. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. Something about the look in his eyes.

“I closed the gate and made sure all alarms were turned on, then I searched every inch of this house and property. There’s nobody here and it’s likely nobody ever was,” Harry says calmly, though his body looked anything but calm. He was definitely tense and his jaw was definitely clenched.

“What do you mean?” Niall asks slowly, “The gate was open. Somebody had to be here.”

“I don’t think so,” Harry shook his head, “There’s no sign of anybody. I think what happened is we were all so fucking drunk last night we never made sure the gate was closed after the last guests left your party.”

Niall’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open slightly as he thinks about it. Everyone was pretty drunk last night. It would make perfect sense that the gate wasn’t closed properly after the last Uber left with the last guests. It was careless of Niall not to check on that. It’s definitely something he’ll be more vigilant about in the future. For right now he’s just relieved it was something stupid like that and not an intruder.

“Well that’s a relief,” Niall says, looking at Harry carefully, “Why don’t you look relieved, Harry?”

Harry paced back and forth in front of the couch, roughly shoving a hand in his hair, “I screwed up, Niall. My _job_ is security. I should have made sure everything was secure after the last person left. That’s what I’m here for! Instead I let myself get carried away with the party. I let myself get talked into a few drinks, then a few more. I got drunk and that’s unacceptable. I should be fired for this. I can’t believe I let myself get distracted. You could have been killed! Or fans could have freely walked onto your property!”

Niall looked up at Harry from his spot on the couch, his brow furrowed, “Are you worried about getting fired? I’d never fire you. I feel safe with you. The last thing I want is someone new coming in here.”

Harry stopped pacing and whirled around, a look of shock and disbelief on his face, “You think this is about a job? Money? I don’t need your money! This is about me being careless and putting your life at risk! I have never done something so reckless before. I was in charge of a whole unit. Their safety was always my number one priority. That should be no different with this job. Your safety should be my number one priority, not drinking and enjoying myself at a Christmas Party. I’m disgusted with myself.”

“Harry - “ Niall stood up and put a hand on Harry’s forearm only to have Harry yank his arm away from him.

“No, Niall. No. You can’t pretend this isn’t a big deal. If anything had happened to you last night because of me I - “ Harry cut himself off, clenching his jaw together as well as his fists by his sides, “I can’t - I’ll be in my room if anything happens and you need me.”

Harry takes off and has disappeared long before Niall can get his brain to work so he can stop him. Who is he even kidding? He knows Harry well enough now to know there would be no stopping him. When he gets something like this in his head he’s like a dog with a bone. He’s a proud man with a lot of integrity and the gate being left open is probably killing him inside. Nothing Niall could say to him right now would get through. Harry will be off in his head for God knows how long, beating himself up over something that is just as much Niall’s fault as well. All Niall can do now is wait for him to cool down a bit then get ready to go in stubborn as a bull to make sure Harry gets over this. He’s not going to let Harry shut him out now. No fucking way. He cares for him too much. He’s - God, he’s falling for Harry. He’s falling for him and he will not let this ruin things for them. Harry may be stubborn but Niall can be just as stubborn and if Harry wants to take on a stubborn Irishman - then bring it on.

  
~~~

  
Harry is beside himself and he has been ever since he looked at the security feeds and saw the gate left open. He’s never done something so reckless before and he’s absolutely sick to his stomach at the fact that he put his client in danger. He’d be disgusted and disappointed in himself if he’d done this to _any_ client but this - this isn’t just any client. This is _Niall_. Sweet, beautiful Niall. The man who- if Harry is being completely honest with himself - he’s falling for. The man who has shown him how to truly laugh and have fun again. The man who makes his heart beat out of his chest with just one look. The man he’d do anything for...

Harry gasps and bends over at the waist, his hands on his knees as he gulps in air because - because he realizes now for the first time that he really would do anything for Niall Horan. In just two months the younger man has worked his way inside Harry’s heart without even trying to. He’s made Harry happy again, made him want to really live and love again. He’s made Harry fall for him and Harry almost just lost it all by getting distracted and not doing his job. He - he could have gotten Niall killed!

It’s the thought of walking in on Niall dead with blood pouring from his body that has Harry rushing toward the window and throwing it open even though it is the middle of December and freezing outside. He gulps in air, immediately falling back on his military training to regulate his breathing. It takes a minute for him to get it under control but he does and then he stays in the window for another five minutes, letting the cold air wash over him and hopefully knock some sense into him. He never should have let himself get caught up in his feelings for Niall. He never should have let himself get distracted. He cannot and will not let anything happen to Niall. That’s a promise he intends to keep.

  
~~~

  
Since Harry decided to lock himself in his room for God knows how long, Niall is bored. He can’t go out anywhere without his bodyguard and he’s tired of watching movies on the telly that he was only half paying attention to. So he decides to call Louis. He knows Louis is in London and they had already talked about meeting up for pints before Christmas. Why not invite Louis to his house and hang out with him all night? He hasn’t seen Louis since September and he misses him a lot. It was definitely a huge adjustment to go from spending five years with Louis to barely seeing him at all.

Thankfully, Louis says he’s available and a couple hours later, Niall is opening his door to one of his favourite people in the world, “Tommo!!”

“Nialler!!!!” Louis shouts, throwing himself at Niall and wrapping him up in a big bear hug.

The hug sends Niall stumbling backwards, taking Louis with him, and before he knows it they’re stumbling into a table and falling to the floor in a heap - the both of them laughing hysterically. Louis is on top of Niall and Niall is getting ready to shove him off and tackle him when all of Louis’ weight suddenly disappears off of him and hears Louis let out a startled shout.

“What the fuck??? Let go of me!! Who the fuck are you? Niall what the fuck??” Louis screams out as he thrashes around, kicking his legs wildly in the air.

Niall is still on his back on the floor, staring in shock as he watches Harry lifting Louis up off the ground like he weighs absolutely nothing. Harry has him in a tight grip and all Louis can do is flail around wildly with his legs since his arms are pinned to his sides by the hold Harry has on him.

Niall knows he needs to tell Harry that Louis is one of his best mates. Needs to tell him Louis is no threat, that they were just horsing around after not seeing each other for three months. Unfortunately, all that comes out when Niall opens his mouth is laughter. He can’t stop himself. The whole situation is too comical. Especially the way Louis is futilely kicking his legs about with an affronted look on his ever reddening face.

“Oh my God!” Niall manages to gasp out before another bout of laughter hits him, “Your face! Tommo! Your face!!”

Louis’ face quickly turns the deepest shade of red Niall has ever seen it and the glare he gives Niall would most definitely strike him dead if that were possible. Of course that only makes Niall laugh so hard he’s literally gasping for breath and through it all Louis uses every expletive Niall has ever heard while still thrashing around in Harry’s arms.

“Harry,” Niall gasps out as he pushes himself up into a sitting position on the floor, “Harry. You can - you can let him go. Let - let him go. Oh God,” Niall holds onto his side as he struggles to control his laughter, “Me side hurts. Jesus Christ.”

“You heard the man!” Louis is shouting and trying (unsuccessfully) to turn his head enough to glare at Harry, “LET. ME. GO!”

Harry looks around Louis at Niall, an eyebrow raised in question. Niall nods at him and reaches for his phone in his pocket, bringing up his camera roll and finding pictures of him and Louis together at his gig at the Troubadour in September. Still in fits of giggles, he turns the phone around and shows Harry, “Seriously, you can let him go. That’s Louis. He’s one of my best mates. I promise.”

Harry seems to contemplate this for a moment, then curtly nods his head and lets Louis go, placing him back down on his feet on the floor. The moment he does, Louis whirls around and Niall’s eyes go wide as he watches Louis’ fist flying at Harry’s face.

“LOUIS!!” He shouts, but he, apparently, needn’t have worried. As quick and cat like as Louis is, Harry is quicker and he easily blocks the fist with a forearm and has Louis spun around with his arm pinned behind his back before Niall can even blink.

“Now,” Harry says in Louis’ ear, his voice low but his tone amused, “Niall here says you’re a friend of his so I’m going to let you go again. If you try anything this time, you’ll be leaving here with broken bones. Are we clear?”

Niall blinks, not quite sure what just happened right in front of him. He just knew it was sexy as fuck. He didn’t have time to drool over Harry and his Kung Fu ways though. He needed to stop Louis from trying to kill Harry before Harry killed Louis.

“Harry!” Niall shouted, “Let go of Louis. Louis...come over here next to me and shut up. I’ll explain everything but I can’t do that if you keep attacking Harry. Trust me - you won’t win.”

Harry loosens his grip on Louis and Louis yanks his arm away from Harry almost violently, turning around to glare at him and call him a ‘fucking cunt’ before walking away and heading toward Niall’s kitchen. Niall sighs and looks at Harry but can tell nothing from the look on his face. Back is the stony blank look that Niall hates but he can do nothing about that right now. He has a guest here and a lot of explaining to do. Harry can go back to sulking in his room.

“Well, as you can see I have a friend over. He’ll be here all night. Probably might even stay the night depending on how much he has to drink. He’s not a threat. We’re close friends. Google us if you don’t believe me. We’ll likely be out here in the main area of the house. You can do what you want,” Niall says, looking Harry in the eye while he speaks.

“You should have told me you were having someone over. Might have saved me from charging out here when I heard the loud voices and the crash when you banged into the table,” Harry says evenly, his expression still not changing.

“Well, Harry, you were too busy being an arse in your room, locked away and refusing to even talk things over with me. When you’re done blaming yourself for the gate incident we can talk,” Niall answers, then he leaves Harry where he is and heads into the kitchen to face Louis.

  
~~~

Two hours later and four pints in, Niall has explained everything to Louis starting from the very beginning. To do that he has to go back to when the band went on hiatus and explain when he started to figure out he likes men as well as women. He had to come out to Louis. He had no choice if he wanted to explain the complicated nature of his relationship with Harry. He found he really wanted to come out though. Truth be told, the only reason he hadn’t come out to Louis yet is because there hasn’t been a right time. He wasn’t about to do it over the phone and every time they’ve met up since the hiatus there have been other people around. He’s glad to have finally done it now and he sits and waits patiently as his friend looks a bit shell shocked from all the news. Best let Louis absorb it all for a few minutes.

“Do you have any, like, whiskey? Or just something stronger? I think I need a shot of something to just...calm me insides down here,” Louis says when he finally speaks.

Niall gets up and grabs a bottle of whiskey from his liquor cabinet and a shot glass. He completely understands the need for it. He remembers having a few shots in the Modest! offices in L.A. when Richard and Harry first told him someone is out there potentially trying to kill him.

Once Louis has his shot of whiskey and takes a few calming breaths, he turns to Niall and punches him right in the bicep, completely catching him off guard and nearly sending him toppling off the chair he was sitting on at the counter, “Ow! What the fuck, Louis??”

Louis looks at him incredulously, “Someone is trying to bloody kill you and you didn’t tell me??”

Niall rubbed his arm and looked at Louis grumpily, “Okay first of all nobody knows for sure anybody is trying to kill me. I have a stalker and a bodyguard was brought in who could handle any and all situations should they arise. Second of all I haven’t seen you since I found out about this in October. I wasn’t about to tell you over the phone.”

Louis sighs and picks up his beer, gesturing in the direction of the sitting room. Niall understood his meaning and they both stood up, heading into the sitting room and plopping themselves down on Niall’s cozy couch, “I don’t like this. I don’t like that some crazy person is obsessed with you because his girlfriend dumped him. I hate that this happened just because you’re doing something you love that happens to put you in the public eye. It really hits home that this could have happened to any one of us. How the fuck are you staying so calm?”

Niall’s eyes immediately drifted toward the back of the house where the bedrooms are and Louis caught it right away, snorting and saying, “Yeah. I’ve had first hand knowledge of how efficient your bodyguard is. Fucking Rambo or something that one is. I can see why you’re able to stay calm.”

Niall laughs and smacks at Louis’ arm, “It’s true. I do feel safe because he’s good at his job. After everything I’ve told you tonight you know very well that’s not the only reason. We just...connect. Underneath that hard exterior is a kind, compassionate, caring man who is funny and makes me laugh all the time. We have so much in common and it’s adorable how much he loves his goddaughter. I just - I can’t seem to keep that Harry around for long. Every time we make progress something happens and he closes off again. I begin to wonder if I’ll ever be able to reach him again and if I _do_ , will he keep reverting back to being closed off when something triggers him? I would love to have something serious with him but can I handle him closing himself off all the time? I don’t know.”

Louis hums and picks at the label on his beer bottle, thinking for a bit before he speaks, “You know, Niall, I’m not an expert on all this by any means but...Harry is a soldier. You said he spent ten years in the military. No matter what we see on the news or read in the papers, the truth is - we just don’t have any idea what he saw while fighting wars. We don’t know the things he might have had to do, what he may have been put through. We can’t know. We can guess and we know it was most likely horrible but we weren’t there and we didn’t live it. You know what I do know though? You’re the most patient person I know when it comes to people. If anyone can get through to Harry and help him through whatever he’s going through - it’s you, Niall. If you’re serious about this guy and really want to be with him long term, then I think the answer to can you handle him being closed off sometimes is yes. Don’t give up on him, yeah? Because I haven’t seen you this crazy about someone in a long time and I want to see you happy.”

Niall tips his head to the side, letting it rest on Louis’ shoulder, “When did you become so wise?”

Louis huffs and reaches over quick like lightning to twist Niall’s nipple. Niall jumps and nearly spills his beer everywhere, “I’ve always been wise. You twats just never appreciated me before.”

Niall laughs and curls into Louis again, patting him on the leg, “Not true. We appreciated you more than you could ever know. We went through a lot as a band. A lot behind the scenes that nobody knows about. You were our voice through it all. You always stuck up for us and kept us together as a family. Maybe we didn’t show it enough but we appreciated you so much. Still do.”

Niall’s head is back on Louis’ shoulder and now Louis rests his head on top of Niall’s, “I’m still here for you like I always was, yeah? Whatever you need.”

“Do you really think I can make this work with Harry? Truly?” Niall asks, really needing his friends reassurance right now.

“Wouldn’t lie to you, Nialler. You’re a strong lad. I obviously am only just learning about all of this but from what you’ve told me it seems like Harry cares about you a lot too. I really don’t think he’s so upset about this gate incident just because he’s a military man who prides himself on doing his job well. I think he’s upset because he’s thinking about what could have happened to you if your stalker got inside somehow. You two really need to talk about it properly. Do that tomorrow when he’s calmed down. Don’t let him shut you down. Make him listen to you.” Louis says, his voice soft and familiar, helping to settle Niall.

“I will,” Niall says, “Tomorrow. That was my plan. I’ve never felt this way so quickly before. It’s scary but it just - it just feels so right. I can’t just let that go and wonder for the rest of my life what might have been.”

Louis hums his agreement then they’re both quiet for a long time, drinking their beers and thinking. Finally Niall says, “Cant believe you never said anything about me liking men.”

Louis let’s out a surprised bark of laughter and shoves Niall’s shoulder, “I’m not gonna lie, Nialler, I was not expecting that at all. You’re probably the laddiest lad I know. I’d probably suspect Liam of liking men before you.” Louis jokes, making Niall laugh loudly, “But at the end of the day you’re one of my best mates and you know I don’t care about all that stuff. You love who you love. You won’t get treated any different by me.”

“Thanks Tommo,” Niall says sincerely, tapping Louis on the knee.

“He is quite pretty isn’t he? Not who I’d expect to be in the military,” Louis says thoughtfully.

Niall laughs loudly and presses his face into Louis’ shoulder, “He’s very pretty. So pretty I don’t know what to do sometimes.”

“Oh I’m sure you can think of a few things to do,” Louis snorts, smirking when Niall lifts his head to look at Louis with his mouth hanging open.

“Fuck off! I will not be discussing my sex life with you!” Niall says, his cheeks turning red at just the mention of sex with Harry. Niall hasn’t gotten to do much with Harry yet but he has a feeling everything would be mind blowing.

Louis cackles and stands up, shaking his empty bottle of beer, “Fair enough! I don’t want to hear about your sex life anyway. Let’s put a film on and get pissed shall we?”

Niall definitely has no problem with that.

  
~~~

  
Harry is in the sitting room reading a book the next day when Niall comes in with a determined look on his face. He has a feeling he knows what’s coming and it only makes the knot in his stomach tighter. He considers himself a strong person but he doesn’t know how to face Niall. How do you tell the person you’re falling for that you can’t be with them? That it’s over before it really got started? Harry doesn’t think he can handle disappointing Niall but it’s better to do that than keep being distracted and Niall end up dead.

“We need to talk, Harry,” Niall says, sitting down on the couch across from Harry, the coffee table between them. His voice is raspy from staying up into the early morning with his friend Louis drinking. No doubt he is hung over and that’s why Harry isn’t seeing him until now when it’s almost dinner time.

“I don’t know what we have left to say,” Harry says, knowing full well Niall probably wouldn’t like it.

“Seriously, Harry?” Niall looks exasperated before the conversation has barely even started. “There’s plenty left to say! Mostly because you’re the only one who got to talk earlier before you stormed off to your room to sulk and beat yourself up over something that wasn’t completely your fault. I’m just as much to blame for the gate being left open. What’s done is done now. We’re only human and we make mistakes. Nothing bad happened so I don’t see why we can’t move forward and just make sure we’re more careful in the future?”

Of course Niall didn’t understand. How could he? He didn’t know that Harry is falling for him. He didn’t know just how deep Harry’s feelings for him ran. He didn’t know how Harry’s heart stopped for a minute when he realized exactly what could have happened because the gate was left open. He didn’t know it would kill Harry if something happened to him on his watch.

“You’re not even going to say anything?” Niall asks when Harry doesn’t respond, his voice rising just a little, his exasperation very clear.

Harry calmly lays his book to the side and leans forward with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped, “There’s nothing more for me to say, Niall. I said it all earlier. I got careless, distracted. I won’t allow that to happen again. I take my job seriously. Especially when a life could be in danger.”

Niall shakes his head, a look of disappointment coming across his face that cuts through Harry like a knife, “You won’t allow that to happen again. You haven’t said this in so many words but I’m going to read between the lines and go ahead and assume I’m the distraction for you? Letting yourself have fun for one night was because we were finally honest with each other and admitted we have feelings for each other? Am I right? Just say what you mean, Harry. I’m not a child!”

Niall is right. He’s not a child. Harry should at least have the courage and decency to be honest with him, “Okay,” Harry nodded, “Yes. I got wrapped up in how I feel about you. I constantly got lost in my head, thinking about you and how much I want you, how much I want us to be together. I relaxed, had fun with the team at the party, had some drinks. It was stupid. My focus should have remained one hundred percent on your safety.”

“So what?” Niall throws his hands up in the air and looks at Harry with raised eyebrows, “You’re just going to forget about me? How you feel about me? Is it really that easy for you, Harry? Because it’s not for me. I can’t forget about how I feel about you. Even if you weren’t in my space twenty-four hours a day.”

Harry’s head jerked up and he looked intensely at Niall, “Nobody said anything about easy. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Right,” Niall’s laugh was hollow, “Well you know what, Harry? I think you’re scared, and not just because of the gate incident. I don’t know everything that happened to you in Iraq or Syria or wherever the fuck you were, but I can piece enough together to know you lost someone important to you over there and I think you’re using that as an excuse to push me away now that we’ve started to get close. I think you’re afraid to feel too deeply because you’re afraid you’ll lose me. Well too bad for you I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me and I’m not going to stop caring about you so if you’re looking for a lesson in how stubborn an Irish bastard I can be - buckle the fuck in, soldier, because you’re about to get it.”

With that, Niall got up and left the room leaving Harry completely gobsmacked with his mouth nearly touching the floor.

  
~~

  
Niall is in his bedroom the next day, packing his suitcase for his trip home to Ireland for Christmas, when there’s a soft tap on his door. He’s about to say ‘come in’ when he remembers previous times in hotels when he’d say that and Harry would lecture him. With a smirk on his face, he walks closer to the door and decides to finally do what Harry has asked him to for months, “Who is it?”

There’s a long pause then he hears Harry clear his throat and say, “It’s Harry.”

Niall stifles a giggle and makes Harry wait a moment. Why not? If Harry is going to be difficult and insist they can’t be together because he thinks he’ll be too distracted to protect Niall (which Niall thinks is bullshit) then Niall might as well have a little fun and drive Harry nuts a bit.

“How do I know it’s really Harry?”

There’s another long pause then Harry says, “...What?”

Niall snorts into his hands and has to take a deep breath to keep himself from breaking out into laughter, “How do I know it’s really Harry? I’ve got to be careful you know? I have a stalker. You could be pretending to be Harry. Mimicking his voice and everything.”

“Niall - “

“No, no,” Niall cuts him off, his stomach hurting from holding in his laughter, “It’s true. My bodyguard told me to always make sure it’s him. Don’t try to get in either, I’ve blocked the door and I’m ready to call the police if I have to.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Harry yells, and that’s all it takes for Niall to burst into laughter. He opens the door to find an exasperated Harry on the other side, his hair stuck up from running his hand through it, no doubt furiously. “Oh this is funny is it?”

“Fucking hilarious,” Niall gasps through his laughter, bending over at the waist with his hands on his knees, “You should see your face right now!”

Harry doesn’t look impressed at all. In fact he’s looking at Niall like Niall is a child whom Harry has no patience to deal with right now. Niall really doesn’t care though. He’s not exactly happy with Harry right now for giving up on their relationship before it even got started. He’s not going to give up on Harry but he’s not going to make life easy for him either. If that’s petty then so be it.

“Are you done yet?” Harry asks, his brow raised as he stares at Niall.

Niall shakes his head and moves back to his bed where his suitcase is, “When am I ever done laughing, Harry? Did you need something?”

Harry dropped his arms to his sides and immediately looked uncomfortable. He wasn’t looking directly at Niall and his feet were shifting from side to side. “Um,” He stopped and cleared his throat, “My Mum is in London. She’s staying with my sister. They’re doing some shopping together before heading to Holmes Chapel for Christmas. They’d like to see me and since we’re going to Ireland tomorrow...”

“Harry,” Niall stopped him, all thoughts of making things hard on Harry disappearing for the moment, “Tell them to come over. I can send a car if you want. They can stay all day and have dinner, a few glasses of wine or egg nog, whatever they want. Please. I want them to have some sort of Christmas with you.”

Harry cleared his throat again and nodded, “Okay. Thank you. I-I didn’t think it would be a big deal but Mum sounds like she really wants to see me for Christmas. I think - well it’s her first Christmas since my stepfather died so...

“What?” Niall’s mouth popped open and he stared at Harry in shock, “Harry! You never told me you had a stepfather who died? For fuck’s sake, of _course_ they need to come here and be with you! They can stay the night as well. You can have a proper Christmas! I’ll order food for a good meal right now. I’ll get a turkey with all the fixings. Don’t argue with me. Just get your Mum and sister in an Uber and tell them to bring their appetites and a change of clothes. Go!” Niall orders Harry while taking his phone out to order groceries.

“Thank you,” Harry says, hesitating at the door, “I don’t deserve you being this kind to me right now. Not after...everything. So thank you. This means a lot to me and it will to my mum and sister as well.”

Niall sighs and he knows his fondness for Harry is showing on his face, “Harry. Look. I’m not happy about our situation. I’ve made that perfectly clear. In fact I’ll take a page out of your book and be completely blunt. I think you’re being a coward right now. You’re using this stupid thing with the gate to push me away and I don’t entirely understand why. For right now I’m going to put that aside. It’s Christmas and you deserve time with your family just like anyone else and despite everything I still care about you a hell of a lot so I want to do whatever I can for you and your family. Okay?”

Harry looks at Niall with a look of wonder on his face and struggles for a moment, his mouth opening and closing like he wants to say something but then decides not to and instead says thank you again and quietly leaves the room to go call his Mum.

Niall stares after him and sighs again. This wasn’t going to be easy. Trying to get through to the man he’s falling for. He wouldn’t give up though. Harry was too important to him. For now, though, he’d put everything aside and make sure Harry and his family have a good night together.

  
~~~

  
It’s very late, two o’clock in the morning late, and Harry is sitting alone in Niall’s sitting room, staring at the Christmas tree and feeling completely confused. He’s just spent the majority of the day and all evening with his mother and sister. They came to Niall’s house and Harry enjoyed just being with them, chatting, laughing, catching up and exchanging gifts. He felt happy and his heart is full just from spending those few hours with them. The problem, and what he’s confused about, is Niall.

Basically, Harry had led Niall on. They decided to give a relationship a shot, they kissed, they got each other off once, then when Harry had screwed up with the gate he pulled back and told Niall they couldn’t be together. Niall is rightfully angry about it all, yet when Harry asked if his family could come over, Niall didn’t hesitate. He went out of his way to cook a huge meal and make Harry’s Mum and sister feel welcome. He did all that so Harry could have some time with his family. He did all that _for_ Harry, despite Harry breaking things off with him. How is he supposed to deal with that? How is he supposed to watch the way Niall instantly clicked with his Mum and sister and not want to forget everything he said and go back to Niall? Beg him to take him back? Tell him he was being stupid when he said they shouldn’t be together?

Harry sighed and took a sip from his now lukewarm tea. It doesn’t help really. There’s a war going on inside of him and there’s a big knot in his stomach because of it. He wants to be with Niall. The younger lad is everything he’s ever wanted in a partner. Harry is no doubt falling in love with him. It’s those deep feelings for Niall that make Harry want to protect him fiercely. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Niall because he was too distracted to do his job properly. So what does he do? Keep giving in to his fear that he can’t protect Niall if they’re together? Or choose love and have an amazing, wonderful relationship with a partner who loves and respects him? Who makes him happy every single day?

A noise startles him and he turns to see his Mum entering the room, wrapped in her robe and a soft smile on her face, “Sorry sweetie. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Harry frowns and sits up straighter on the couch, looking at his Mum as she takes a seat next to him and crosses one leg over the other, “What are you doing up, Mum?”

Anne patted his knee gently and smiled knowingly at him, “Mother’s intuition probably. After watching you all day I had a feeling you’d be up in the middle of the night. You used to do it as a teenager as well, when you were troubled about something and couldn’t sleep.”

Harry looks down at his lap, shaking his head and chuckling a bit, “You always know when something is bothering me. Could never hide anything from you.”

Anne hums, “I’d like to think that makes me a good Mum. The fact my mother’s intuition works so well.”

“You’re the best Mum. The very, very, best,” Harry says immediately, wrapping his Mum up in his arms and pulling her against his side.

Anne hugs him back and looks up at him, “Talk to me, love. Tell me what’s bothering you and maybe I can help. So far I know it has to do with Niall. He’s lovely by the way.”

Harry nearly chokes on his own spit and pulls away from his mother, giving her an incredulous look, “What? Why do you say it has to do with Niall?”

Anne scoffs and gives Harry a ‘do you really think I’m stupid’ look, “Like I said, Harry, I was watching you tonight. There’s tension between you two. I also noticed the way you were looking at him and in case you didn’t notice - he was looking at you the same way.”

Harry didn’t notice but that was irrelevant right now. His Mum was here, right in front of him, offering an ear. He couldn’t turn that down when he desperately needed to talk to the one person he has always trusted one hundred percent his whole life.

So he sighs and tells her everything while resting his head on her shoulder and letting her run her fingers through his hair just like she did when she would sing him to sleep as a child. When he’s finished she kisses his temple and holds him for awhile quietly, thinking about what she wants to say before she speaks.

When she’s ready she sits Harry up straight again so she can look at him and brushes a thumb over his cheek gently before she reaches for his hand, “Baby, you know I can’t tell you what to do. That has to be your decision. I will say this though. What happened in Afghanistan was not your fault. We never talk about this, not since that night you told me what happened, but right now I really need to emphasize that what happened was not your fault. Walsh ignored your orders and ended up in the line of fire. Somehow, someway, you need to find a way to make peace with that, honey, so you can move on and trust yourself again.”

Harry wiped a hand over his tired eyes, “What does trusting myself have to do with anything?”

“Oh baby,” Anne lifted a hand to cup his cheek and smiled sadly at him, “If you trusted yourself and your abilities you wouldn’t worry about being with Niall and protecting him at the same time. You’d just do it. I know in my heart you being with him won’t keep you from doing your job but you need to believe that too because I would hate to see you miss out on a chance at love. I don’t want you to ever deal with that kind of regret in your life. Think about it, okay?”

Harry nods and whispers, “Okay, Mum. I will. I promise.”

“Good. That’s all I can ask of you, baby,” Anne says, patting his cheek lightly, “I’m going to head to bed again and leave you to it then. I love you.”

“I love you, Mum. Thank you for everything.” Harry says, kissing her on the cheek, “Goodnight.”

Once his mum leaves again, Harry makes coffee this time and settles in on the couch thinking about everything. He stays up all night thinking. Wondering if maybe Niall and his Mum are right? Maybe what happened with Walsh really did shake him to the point that he doesn’t trust himself? Maybe that’s why the gate incident had him running scared and distancing himself from Niall? Because he doesn’t have confidence in himself that he can protect Niall if they’re sleeping together and emotionally involved.

After hours of going over and over it in his head, Harry takes a step he never thought he’d take. As the morning light starts to peak through Niall’s curtains, Harry opens his e-mail on his phone and stares at the e-mail address for one of the Royal Navy’s psychologists. He takes a deep breath, clicks on it, and reaches out.

  
~~~

  
Christmas and New Year pass quietly for Harry. Niall’s family made him feel very welcome and included him in everything they did but Harry preferred to keep to himself and focus on making sure Niall stayed safe while enjoying time with his family.

Something else he is focusing on is therapy. Harry had to make a choice of what’s more important - continuing to let his past control his present or Niall and a future with him? As hard as it is for Harry to open up, especially to a psychologist, he chose Niall and that’s why he reached out to the Navy psychologist just before Christmas.

So far Harry is impressed with Dr. Sanford. She’s in her mid forties and her situation is quite similar to Harry’s. She spent years on the front lines in the Middle East only to be injured and unable to continue on active duty. Instead of being medically discharged she decided to stay in the Navy and go through school to become a psychologist. Harry never got to serve anywhere with her but he finds it easy to talk to her knowing that she understands exactly what Harry went through out there on the front lines.

Dr. Sanford agreed easily to Skype sessions once he explained why it would be impossible for him to go to her office and for the past three weeks Harry has spent hours on Skype talking to her and opening up, hoping she can help him to deal with everything so he can let go and trust himself again.

Now Harry wants to finally tell Niall what he’s been doing and hope it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe it’s too late or maybe Niall will be willing to wait for Harry to work some things out? The only way to find out is to talk to him and Dr. Sanford told him he was free to do that whenever he felt ready - there’s no time table on it.

Well Harry felt ready now and since they’re back in L.A. for a couple weeks before heading to Dubai, Harry waits until Sean is at work then heads into the living room where Niall is, his palms actually sweating from being nervous. He smiles fondly when he walks into the room because Niall is curled up on the couch with his glasses on, intently going through something on his laptop. He looks absolutely adorable and for the first time in his life, Harry can see himself curled right up next to someone on the couch for the rest of his life, content and happy to pass away a lazy day and that someone he sees himself with is Niall.

“Hey,” Harry says quietly, not wanting to startle Niall.

“Hi,” Niall says without looking up from his screen.

“What are you working on?” Harry asks, wondering if maybe he should wait and talk to Niall later.

Niall takes a few seconds to finish typing something before he looks up at Harry, “When we get back from Dubai we’ll be heading into rehearsals pretty soon after with the new drummer. I’m e-mailing management some ideas on what I want my final set list to look like. Eighteen or nineteen songs for this tour I think. Bigger venues, longer shows, more songs.”

Niall goes back to typing so Harry thinks about it for a minute before saying, “Mind if I make a suggestion?”

Niall stops typing and looks at Harry, shrugging, “Sure. Why not?”

“I quite liked that duet you did with Gavin before. Maybe you could do ‘Dancing in the Dark’ on your own? I think it fits your set nicely.” Harry says, thinking back to how good Niall sounded while singing that song on ‘The Flicker Sessions’.

The corner of Niall’s mouth lifted up and slowly a smile spread across his face, “It was the first song I brought up in my e-mail. One of the covers I definitely want to do. I guess we think alike.”

Harry smiles back at Niall and the two lock eyes for a minute before Niall clears his throat and looks back at his screen, “I guess we do. We do have the same taste in music.”

Niall nods and finishes typing something again before he closes his laptop and gives Harry his full attention, “You okay, mate? You look a bit...off.”

Harry nods and wipes his hands on his thighs to dry his sweaty palms, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. I just - I want to talk to you about something. I’m a bit nervous I guess.”

Niall gave him a long look before saying, “Are you quitting? Am I getting a new bodyguard? Is this part of your plan to keep running away from your feelings for me?”

Harry’s eyes widen and he shakes his head while holding his hands out in front of him, “No! I’m not going anywhere. I promised I’d be with you until your stalker is caught and I meant that. This - this is about us though.”

Niall squints his eyes at Harry and folds his arms over his chest, “If this is more of why we can’t or shouldn’t be together I don’t want to hear it, Harry.”

Harry shook his head and couldn’t help the small smile that came onto his face. Niall is quite stubborn but Harry finds it cute more than anything, “Are you going to let me talk or not?”

Niall raises one eyebrow, “Like I said - “

“Oh for God’s sake, Niall! Just listen to me and maybe you’ll actually like what you hear! Okay? Can I please talk?” Harry asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.

Niall’s eyes widened slightly at Harry’s slight outburst, then he nodded and dropped his arms down to his sides, “Go on.”

“Okay,” Harry swallowed nervously, “I’m not good at this so bear with me please. I’m not - well I guess you’ve noticed I’m not exactly a normal guy. Some...not so nice things happened while I was at war and I - I didn’t deal with that. I kept it all inside and didn’t accept the help that was offered to me. I became closed off and I’m so used to being that way that it’s hard for me to open up. Then I met you and started to like you as more than a friend and employer. I started to want _more_ in life than I’ve ever wanted. You bring out the best in me. You bring out the Harry that existed before I went to war. You make me want to be happy - to be happy with _you_ and yeah that scares the shit out of me because I don’t remember how to just _be_ happy.”

Harry stops to take a breath before continuing, “When my Mum came to your house, she noticed something was off with me and we had a long talk. I told her how I feel about you and she said something that really made me think. She said I needed to find a way to let go of what happened in Afghanistan. Even though I know it wasn’t my fault logically I still feel responsible and I need to forgive myself so I can trust myself again. She suggested the gate incident spooked me because I don’t trust myself enough to protect you. She basically asked me if I wanted to keep going the way I’m going? Or get help and figure it out so that I can be with you and not lose you?”

Niall is looking at him and listening intently, his hands clasped in his lap and fidgeting around a little, “Did you - have you decided what you want to do?”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Harry says, his voice barely above a whisper. He feels himself getting emotional and tries to control himself but that’s hard to do when Niall is sitting across from him and biting down on his lip while looking at him fondly.

“You haven’t lost me, Harry. I’m right here. I’ve been here and I’ll continue to be here. I told you I wasn’t going to give up and I meant that. The truth is - “ Niall stops and looks uncertain about what he was going to say, “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. I don’t want to scare you away.”

Harry immediately shakes his head and gets up to go kneel on the floor in front of the couch where Niall is sitting, “Tell me? Please? It’s important we be honest with each other. Whatever you were going to say I want to know and I promise I’m done letting things scare me away from you.”

Niall chews on his lip again, thinking about it, then he takes a deep breath and says, “I’m falling for you, Harry. That’s the truth. I’m falling for you.”

The emotion that Harry was trying to hold back comes bubbling up his throat and he hears a small sob escape him, surprising himself and Niall. He reaches for Niall’s hand and Niall willingly takes it, concern on his face as he watches Harry become so emotional. Harry gave up trying to fight it and buried his face in Niall’s lap, letting all the tears and pent up emotion out while Niall sat quietly, letting him get it out while running his fingers through Harry’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Harry lifts his head and half laughs at himself awhile later when he calms down enough. He wipes at his cheeks with his fingers and looks up into Niall’s clear blue eyes, “It’s just that...I’m falling for you, too, and it just feels *so* good after all these years to just _feel_ again. To not be empty.”

Niall’s eyes well up with tears and he curses, pulling Harry up off the floor and into his arms, “Harry. My God I - I can’t even begin to understand what you went through or how you must have felt all these years. It kills me to hear you talking about feeling empty. I don’t want that for you. I want you to be free and to laugh and to be the Harry I’ve gotten glimpses of sometimes, the Harry who laid in bed with me and kissed me so eagerly and wanted to give us a chance. I feel like that’s the real you and I want you to know I’ll do whatever you need me to do to help you be yourself for good. Okay? Whatever you need. You can trust me. I promise.”

Harry held on to Niall tight, his head resting on Niall’s chest. He was completely vulnerable right now but he...didn’t mind. He felt safe with Niall’s arms around him, almost like Niall could chase Harry’s bad memories and nightmares away forever. “I trust you. I trust you so much and that in and of itself is a bit scary but I’m- I’m learning how to deal with my fear. I haven’t told you that part yet.”

Niall kissed the top of his head and spoke softly near his ear, “You can tell me whatever you want whenever you want. No timetable yeah? I just want you to be comfortable.”

Harry lifted his head from Niall’s chest so he could look up into Niall’s eyes while he spoke, “I want to tell you now. That was part of what I wanted to talk to you about. I honestly wasn’t expecting to get so emotional.”

Harry moved back out of Niall’s arms and sniffled while wiping at his cheeks again. Niall cooed and reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind Harry’s ear, “You come across as this tough, no nonsense guy who tells it like it is and can probably beat the shit out of someone without breaking a sweat but the real you - the Harry that’s been kept locked away for years is a kind, gentle, man who loves fiercely and wants to be loved in return. A man who just wants to laugh and have fun while wearing his pretty Gucci shirts and glittery boots.”

A loud laugh escaped Harry and he slapped his hand over his mouth in surprise. Niall laughed and said, “There he is. The real Harry. Wish you wouldn’t hide that laugh. I love it.”

Harry uncovered his mouth and chuckled, his cheeks heating up at the compliment, “I sound like I’m honking or something.”

Niall smiles and shrugs, “I think you sound beautiful.”

Harry smiles and shakes his head, looking down to try and hide his blush, “You’re too much, Niall Horan, but I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

Niall smiles and reaches out to take Harry’s hand in his and clasp their fingers together, “How are you feeling right now? Still want to keep talking? You said there was more you wanted to tell me.”

Harry nods and moves around so that he’s got one leg tucked under him on the couch, never letting go of Niall’s hand, “Do you remember when I told you a therapist came to talk to me after my injury but I didn’t want to talk? Well I had her e-mail address and I reached out after my talk with my Mum. Obviously I can’t meet with her right now but we’ve been doing Skype sessions at least four times a week. I’ve been opening up a bit and she’s been - she’s been helping me. I’m not saying I’m cured and that it’s been easy but it’s going good. I feel like I’m going in the right direction.”

Niall looks at Harry, completely speechless, his eyes wide and his mouth moving but no sound coming out. Harry giggles and that seems to snap Niall out of it and he giggles too before letting go of Harry’s hand and hugging him instead, “I’m so proud of you. Words can’t really explain how proud I feel right now. It must be so hard to open up and talk about some of the things that have happened to you - some of the things you’ve seen. You’re doing it, though, and I think that’s amazing Harry.”

Harry smiles and hugs Niall back, then pulls away and says, “It’s partly because of you ya know? I knew I needed to get help or I’d never be able to be with you and that just wasn’t something I wanted to even think about. I didn’t want to lose you. I also did it for myself too. I want to get the old me back. I want to be happy again and slowly I’m beginning to understand that I deserve that.”

“Oh God, Harry, you do! You _do_ deserve to be happy. So much,” Niall says emphatically, holding Harry’s face between his hands.

“I don’t think I completely believe that yet but I’m working on it. I really am and I - I need to ask you something,” Harry says, getting nervous again.

“Anything,” Niall says without any hesitation, holding on to Harry’s hand again, “You can ask me anything.”

“Okay,” Harry takes a deep breath, “I want to be with you, I really, really, do. I just want to wait a bit. I want to keep my focus on protecting you and I want to get further along in my therapy before we get involved in something serious...because for me there’s no casual with you, Niall. My feelings are already way too strong. When we get together it’s going to be serious for me. I’m going to be all in. What I need to know from you is...do you want the same thing? And are you willing to wait for me until this stalker is caught and I feel ready to be in a relationship?”

Niall doesn’t answer right away. Instead he surges forward and kisses Harry, his lips soft as they urgently move over Harry’s. Harry kisses him back just as urgently, his tongue slipping into Niall’s mouth ever so slightly, tasting him and hoping it’ll be enough until they do this again.

“Yeah,” Niall says when he pulls back, his lips wet from Harry’s tongue, “Yes, I can wait until you’re further along in your therapy. I want you to feel comfortable. I want you to be completely ready because I feel the same way as you - this isn’t casual for me, Harry. I want you for real.”

“Okay,” Harry says, a huge smile on his face, “Okay. This is - this is good. We’re going to get this stalker first and I’m going to continue with Dr. Sanford, and then you and I are going to get our chance.”

“Definitely,” Niall agreed, smiling back at Harry just as big.

  
~~~

  
After Dubai and some more time in L.A., they’re finally back in London and Niall is deep into rehearsals. He loves being back with his band, preparing for his first world tour and working on the covers he’s going to do this time around. He’s got some surprises for the fans and he can’t wait!

When they stop for a break, Niall’s got a smile on his face not only because he’s in his element but because he loves watching Harry over in the corner bopping and singing along to the songs. The older man is very serious about his therapy and it must be helping because as each week passes Niall can tell Harry is lighter somehow, like the weight of the world is finally off his shoulders.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Niall checks to see if he’s gotten any messages and freezes when he sees a text from a blocked number on his screen. It says “ **Never forget I’m watching you”** and it has Niall’s heart pounding fast and his hands sweating and shaking. He looks around wildly for Harry and sees him talking to Jake on the other side of the room. He decides to text him so he doesn’t alarm anyone else and heads out into the hallway to wait for Harry to come out.

“Hey,” Harry walks out of the rehearsal room with a smile on his face that quickly drops when he sees Niall’s face, “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Niall hands him the phone with shaking hands and Harry takes it, cursing and running a hand through his hair in frustration, “Harry. He knows my number.”

Harry reaches for his own phone in his pocket and gives it to Niall, “Call Tara. Have her get you a new phone and number right away.”

Niall did what Harry asked. When he was finished he gave Harry back his phone and collapsed back against the wall, “I don’t know how much more I can take. I need this to be over. I’m going to go crazy, Harry.”

“No,” Harry shakes his head and pulls Niall gently into his strong arms, “No you’re not. That’s what he wants and we’re not going to give it to him. I’ve got you, yeah? He can threaten you all he wants but he’s got to get through me to get to you and I won’t let that happen. I promise you.”

Niall burrows into Harry’s solid chest, his arms wrapped tightly around Harry’s waist. Harry holds him close and kisses the top of his head, making Niall feel safe. “I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.”

Harry kisses Niall’s head again then pulls back and holds Niall by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes, “I’m going to make some calls and get a friend involved on the tech side of things. The police just aren’t cutting it as far as I’m concerned. This stalker is damn good but there are more like him who are just as good and I know one of them. You go on and finish rehearsing okay? Try and get your mind off of this. I’ll be right out here.”

Niall nodded and took a few deep breaths. He was about to lean in and kiss Harry but stopped himself because they weren’t like that yet. Niall was falling more in love with Harry everyday but he respected Harry’s wishes and understood why he needs to wait until all this bullshit is over with the stalker. Fuck if he isn’t aching to be with the older man for real though.

“Let me know what you’re planning later okay?” Niall asks softly.

“Always,” Harry gives him a reassuring smile then he’s dialling a number on his phone and Niall heads back inside to rehearsals.

  
~~~

  
A few days later, Niall finds himself sitting in his sitting room while Harry leads a tall, built man of about thirty years old into the room. “Niall. This is my mate, Jamie I was telling you about. He was part of my unit when I was in the military.”

Jamie smiles at him, a warm, kind smile that immediately puts Niall at ease. He reaches out to shake Niall’s hand and Niall accepts it, shaking firmly and introducing himself, “Niall Horan. Nice to meet you, mate.”

“Likewise. Wish it was under better circumstances though. The Captain - “ Harry glares at the man and Jamie laughs, “I mean, _Harry_ , has filled me in. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. Hopefully I can help you out of this.”

Niall looks at Harry with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face, “Captain?”

Harry groans and glares at a grinning Jamie, “I _told_ you not to call me that. I’m not your commanding officer anymore. I’m just a regular civilian now.”

Jamie snickers and hold his hands up in front of him, “Sorry, sorry, old habits die hard and all that. Besides...I wish you still were in charge of the unit. Once McAvoy got promoted the power went to his head. He’s a right prick to deal with now.”

Harry laughs and shrugs his shoulders, “He was always a good second in command for me.”

Jamie snorted, “Yeah because you were there to keep him in check. Anyway, I know you didn’t bring me here to talk about old times.”

“Right,” Harry motions for Jamie to have a seat on the couch while Niall offers him a beverage. Jamie declines for now so Niall has a seat across from Harry and Jamie and gets ready to listen.

“So. Harry has filled you in that he spoke with your managers I guess?” Jamie says, opening the laptop he brought with him.

“Yes,” Niall nodded, “About all the e-mails and messages they’ve gotten regarding me from this stalker.”

“Right,” Jamie nodded, “Turns out they’re just as frustrated with the police and their private investigator as you and Harry are so they’ve given me free access to their servers and everything. Honestly if they hadn’t I would have just hacked them anyway so...”

Niall laughs a surprised laugh while Harry simply rolls his eyes fondly, “He’s not even kidding.”

Jamie looks up from his laptop with a gleeful look in his eyes, “Nope. It’s not like I’d get caught anyway. I’m that good.”

“And just as humble as ever,” Harry says sarcastically, making Niall smile fondly at the camaraderie the two friends clearly have.

“Look. In all seriousness here - don’t be too hard on the police. They’ve got good people but even when it comes to the cyber world they’re bound by the law and warrants and all that shit. There are places on the dark web these officers will never know about or see. Only the best of the best can get through everything there and lucky for you I’m one of them. I have a feeling your guy is too and I plan on finding his ass,” Jamie says confidently.

Niall likes him right away. He’s easy going, friendly and confident and he puts Niall at ease just like Harry does. Okay maybe not _just_ like Harry since Niall is falling for Harry but Jamie does make him feel at ease just the same. “Okay. So...without getting all technical, how do you plan on doing that?”

Jamie nodded and typed some more before turning his laptop around to face Niall, “Okay, so, without confusing you with the technical stuff, here are his social media pages. The police keep shutting them down but he just creates new ones. I’m going to poke around, leave some code to create a little trap. I want to see how he reacts to it. It’ll give me some insight into just how good he is and how his mind works.”

“While you’re laying traps in there you should leave one that leads him straight to me so I can end this once and for all,” Harry says, his tone completely serious.

“No!” Niall says right away, his voice rising a bit, “No, no, let’s not do that. We don’t know how dangerous this guy is. You can’t just put yourself at risk like that. Can’t the police set a trap for him or something?”

Harry snorts and Jamie smirks, “No offence to the police but their training doesn’t compare to Harry’s. With that being said I’m still not going to do that Harry. Most likely the guy would see through that.”

Harry sighs and runs a hand through his hair, “I know. I’d still like to get my hands on him though.”

Jamie gives Harry a long, shrewd look like he suspects something is going on but he doesn’t say anything about it. Instead he goes back to typing on his computer while talking at the same time, “This guy is incredibly smart. We know that. He’s also paranoid. I think our best bet is for me to play on that paranoia and trick him into making a mistake. It’ll be fun.”

Harry snorts and shakes his head, “I’m glad it’ll be fun for you at least. Am I taking you away from anything? Any deployments coming up?”

“Nah,” Jamie shakes his head, “Got a couple months leave unless something major happens and we get called back early. Considering who is currently running the United States, that is a real possibility. Gotta support the allies and all that.”

“I really don’t miss the politics of it all,” Harry commented, “Especially when it costs people their lives.”

“Such is war, my friend,” Jamie says, patting Harry’s knee lightly, “You’ve got a good gig going on here though. No politics involved. Any of Niall’s fans lusting after you yet or what?”

Niall perked up at that comment and looked at Harry, laughing loudly, “Ohhhh one or two I think.”

Jamie laughs and looks over at Niall with a twinkle in his eye, “Is that so? It’s those luscious locks of his right? Or maybe the dimples?”

Harry groans while Niall laughs even louder and says, “I did an Instagram live a few months back and literally girls kept asking who the hot guy is that keeps showing up in pictures. Should of seen Harry’s face!”

“Oh you two can fuck right off any time now,” Harry says, shaking his head and covering his face with one hand.

“Oh no. Not gonna happen,” Jamie says through his laughter, “I’ve got a brilliant story for Niall. So, we were...I actually don’t even know anymore where we were. Iraq? Afghanistan? They all look the same after awhile. Anyway we were out on a mission, I won’t go into the details but a fire fight broke out and I ended up taking cover with Harry behind one of our tanks. Harry’s helmet fell off and I look over to see not a fucking hair out of place! That one piece of hair that always curls down over his forehead was even there! I remember thinking ‘have we fucking died? Is Harry an Angel now?’ it was ridiculous! He’s way too pretty to have been a soldier but he’s the best I’ve ever seen that’s for sure.”

Niall is bent over at the waist at this point he’s laughing so hard. Jamie seems to feed off it and is laughing hard too, while Harry sits there and threatens to never speak to either one of them ever again. It’s brilliant, really, and despite the reason for Jamie coming over in the first place, Niall finds he’s happy he did and happy he got to meet him.

  
~~~

  
Later that evening, Harry has a Skype meeting with his therapist so Niall decides to make them dinner and give Harry his privacy. He makes a curry and by the time it’s done, Harry is finished and walking into the kitchen with a peaceful, happy look on his face.

“It went okay then?” Niall asked, a soft smile on his face as he brought their plates over to the table.

“Yeah,” Harry smiled back while taking his seat, “I think I get more comfortable each time we talk and...I think I find it easier because she spent years on the front line like I did, before she got her degree. When she says she understands she literally understands. She’s been through the same stuff and doesn’t just sit there and say ‘it’s going to be okay, Harry’. She knows that’s not what I want to hear. I’m not saying I don’t believe it will be okay - I just don’t need to hear it five hundred times.”

“I’m glad it’s going good. That it’s actually helping. I know you had doubts about therapy being helpful,” Niall says before taking a bite of food.

Harry takes a bite from his own plate and smiles shyly at Niall when he finishes chewing, “We talk about you sometimes.”

“Uh oh,” Niall laughs nervously, “Should I be worried?”

Harry laughs, “Of course not. No! It’s good. I told her about the conversation we had...you know, the one about how I feel about you? She smiled and said you sound lovely and that it’s great I have someone who is so supportive and who is willing to let me work through some stuff before getting into a relationship. You don’t push me or judge me. She says I need that so...thank you.”

Niall is blushing furiously, he can feel it and he knows he has nowhere to hide so he just looks across the table at Harry and smiles while shaking his head, “I...don’t even know what to say. I’m blushing like a fucking idiot right now.”

Harry laughs loudly but doesn’t say anything. They eat in silence for a couple of minutes, giving Niall a chance to gather himself. He looks up from his plate at Harry and says, “For the record...supporting you and being there for you if you need me - it’s a no brainer for me. I care so much about you, Harry. I want you to be happy and healthy. Waiting a bit until you get healthy will be worth it in the end. For both of us I think.”

“Yeah,” Harry put down his fork and smiled softly across at Niall, “I think so too. You’re pretty special, Niall. You deserve more than a damaged man who can’t fully commit to you because he’s too busy running from and ignoring stuff. You deserve the best and that’s what I want to be for you.”

Niall nods and reaches across the table for Harry’s hand, squeezing it when Harry lays his hand in his, “To me you’re already the best but I respect the fact you don’t feel that way about yourself yet.”

“Thank you,” Harry says, then he sits back and chuckles a bit, “This curry is delicious. How about we enjoy the rest of it without talking about something so serious?”

Niall agrees, knowing that Harry has reached his limit for talking about himself for the night. He’s okay with that and lightens the mood by teasing Harry about the stories Jamie had shared earlier in the day. From there they finish their meal talking about normal, everyday things, then clear the kitchen together before ending up in the living room - Harry with coffee and Niall with a beer.

“You know,” Harry starts after a bit of silence, “If we catch this guy soon it’ll be weird not going on your world tour with you. I got used to seeing you up on stage every night and from what I’ve seen in rehearsals this tour is going to be sick.”

Niall looks down at his bottle of beer, not really wanting to think about what Harry just said. He doesn’t want the cost of catching his stalker to be losing Harry. He’s going to be on the road until almost the end of the year and he knows how this story ends already. He’s written an album about it. Relationships have ended because of his career. He didn’t want to lose Harry before they even had a chance.

“Hey. Niall. You okay? I didn’t mean to upset you,” Harry says, a frown on his face when Niall looks up.

Niall shrugs and swallows down the emotion building up in his throat, “I just - I don’t want to think about what happens when this guy is caught. I don’t want to go out on tour for months and not see you. We haven’t even had a chance yet.”

Harry puts down his coffee and moves over next to Niall, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him close, “Let’s not think about that yet. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it okay? Most important is your safety. Once this guy is caught we can discuss everything else. We won’t lose each other okay? No matter where you are in the world we’ll make it work. I’m falling in love with you, Niall, and I can’t even describe how that makes me feel, how _you_ make me feel. I’m not letting go of you, yeah? I promise.”

Niall blows out a breath and curls into Harry, relaxing against his warmth, “Okay. I’m holding you to that promise.”

Harry smiles and presses a kiss to the top of Niall’s head, “I hope you do.”

“Can we stay like this? Maybe watch some telly?” Niall asks, hearing the vulnerability in his own voice, “I know we’re not really together yet but - “

“Shhh,” Harry kisses his head again and lifts his legs up to rest on the coffee table, “I’ll hold you all night if you want me to. You just pick what we’re going to watch.”

  
~~~

  
March began and Niall’s world tour was set to start in just a few days. He was already over in Ireland where he was having the final rehearsals with his band and making sure he’s comfortable on all the covers he’s doing, plus the new song that didn’t make his album. He’s been practicing hard on the piano and plans on going non stop the last few days to make sure he’s perfect. He knows he’s going to be extremely nervous the first night but his fans are the best and they’ll pull him through - they always do.

They’re at the venue in Killarney right now. It’s not being used the last few days before his show so he’s able to do rehearsals there with his band and watch everything getting set up. He’s excited now. He can feel the anticipation in the air, feel the adrenaline running through his veins. He always gets this way before a tour because he just loves being on stage. He feeds off the energy of the crowd and loves the camaraderie he has with his band.

They’re taking a break from rehearsing right now so Niall finds Harry and lets him know he’s going to the toilet. Harry nods and gives him a small smile that has Niall’s stomach fluttering. He smiles back at Harry and ducks his head, heading out into the hallway and toward the toilets. He decides last minute not to use the one backstage. He wants to go out and take a video of the venue from the seating area. Show off the stage and seats on his instagram for his fans.

So he heads out and takes a video from the back, showing the seating area and John messing around on stage with his guitar. When he’s finished, he pockets his phone and heads into the closest public toilet to take a leak before heading backstage again.

He’s finishing up, just drying his hands with paper towel when someone walks into the toilet behind him. He looks up and sees it’s a security guard so he smiles and says, “Hello, mate.”

“Hiya, Niall. So happy to _finally_ meet you in person,” The man says, his voice immediately making the hair stand up on the back of Niall’s neck.

Niall slowly turns around, his heart beating fast as he takes in the evil smile on the man’s face. He doesn’t recognize him but he has a pretty good idea who he must be and fear grips his entire body immediately.

“What? Not happy to see me?” The man asks, that sick smile still on his face, “I’m offended. I’ve come a long way just to see you.”

Niall is paralyzed with fear, his eyes darting around the room for a way to escape but there isn’t one. His stalker is blocking the only exit. How is this even happening? How is this guy in Ireland and dressed up as a security guard? Why didn’t Niall just use the toilet backstage instead of wandering around the venue alone?

Another wave of fear washes over him and his legs nearly give out from underneath him when he realizes Harry has no idea where he is. Niall didn’t tell him he was going to a different toilet. He’s all alone with his stalker on the other side of the venue and has no way to call for help because his phone is in his back pocket. There’s no way he can get to it without his stalker noticing. He’s screwed.

“I can practically hear you thinking,” The man says, looking amused, “Trying to think of a way to get out of here. You can stop now. You’re not getting out of here. I’ve waited far too long for this.”

Niall remained calm for the moment but he could feel the panic bubbling up inside of him, clawing at his throat as if it’s struggling to find a way out. He manages to tamp it down and licks his dry lips before speaking quietly, “What - what do you want?”

The man laughs wickedly, as if Niall said something funny. The sound made Niall feel physically ill. “What do I want? I think I’ve been pretty clear about that haven’t I?”

Niall feels the panic clawing at his throat again and clenches his teeth to keep from screaming. Once he starts he won’t be able to stop and this guy probably has a gun or something in his pocket. He needs to remain calm and talk his way out of this somehow. There’s no other way. Sure, Niall has been working out and is bigger than he was five years ago but he’s still only five foot eight to this guys six foot two. There’s no way he can over power him.

“Listen mate, you don’t have to do this,” Niall says slowly, trying to keep his voice from shaking, “It’s hard losing someone you love but you’ll find someone new, someone who will treat you better than your last girlfriend. You just - you can just turn around and leave. By the time I even find anyone you’ll be long gone. You can have a life. You won’t have that if you - if you hurt me.”

“How cute,” The man laughs gleefully, “You really think all that nonsense will work on me? I’m not stupid, _Niall_. I don’t have to walk away. I can kill you and get away with it easily. My life is going to be just fine but thank you so very much for your concern.”

Niall feels faint and his legs nearly give out beneath him. This man is going to kill him! He’s going to die here in this toilet when he has so much to live for! He can’t let that happen. He can’t!

“No!” Niall shakes his head vigorously, “You can’t! I haven’t done anything to do!”

“Oh but you have,” The man says bitterly, his hand coming out of his pocket and flipping a knife open, “You ruined my life. You’re all that bitch talked out! All day long! And when she wasn’t talking about you she was watching videos of you. Well now I’m going to make a new video for her...of you dying.”

“NO!” Niall yells loudly, his eyes catching the little recording device the man had attached to his jacket. “You don’t have to do this, mate. Please!”

“Oh, are we begging now? That’s a nice touch actually,” The man laughed, “Do me a favour and look right into the camera while you beg for your life. I’ll be able to watch it over and over again while I’m sitting on a beach somewhere enjoying the rest of my life. More importantly that bitch will watch you begging for your life, knowing it’s all her fault you had to die.”

The man started to move toward Niall and the panic clawing at Niall’s throat finally broke loose. He screamed and charged forward, determined to at least go down fighting. He wasn’t just going to stand here and let this guy stab him to death. He had to at least fight. Maybe he’ll still get stabbed but depending on where he gets stabbed he could possibly survive it.

“You fucking bastard!!” Niall screamed as he shoved the man with all his strength sending him stumbling back a bit. He’s clearly surprised that Niall came at him but he recovered quickly and came after Niall with an angry look in his eye. Niall is gripped with fear and he swings his arm out, hitting and scratching at the much larger man, doing anything he can to survive.

“Feisty are ya?” The man laughs and grabs for Niall’s flailing arms. Niall fights back, continuing to try and hit the guy, scratch his face and even gets his feet involved, kicking at his legs to try and knock him off balance. It’s no use, though, as the guy has five inches and at least a hundred pounds on Niall.

“Stop it!” Niall screams, “You don’t have to do this! Please stop!”

The stalker just laughs at him and shoves him hard against the wall, knocking the breath right out of him. He feels the man’s fingers wrap around his throat and struggles to get them off, grabbing at the guys hands and arms to no avail. He’s going to die here in this arena toilet and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it.

  
~~~

  
Harry looks up from his phone when Ellie walks into the dressing room, thinking she’s Niall. When he sees it’s not he frowns and asks, “Have you seen Niall? He said he was going to the toilet but that was nearly fifteen minutes ago.”

Ellie snorts and grabs a bottle of water from the mini fridge, “Oh Harry, you should know how men are. He’s probably taking a dump and reading a full golf magazine while he’s at it. I’ll never understand why men feel the need to sit on the toilet for half an hour like that.”

Harry chuckles and rolls his eyes then stands up, heading out into the hallway to look for Niall. He’s not worried or anything, he just likes to know where the younger man is - not only because it’s his job but because he just loves being near him all the time and hearing him talking and laughing.

When he gets to the toilet at the end of the hall the door is open and Niall clearly isn’t in there so he wanders around backstage looking for the Irishman, his phone ringing as he passes by Tara and Jake arguing over something stupid.

“Jamie. Hey,” Harry answers.

“Harry, mate, listen to me. Your stalker made a mistake. Must have forgotten to turn his wifi off or maybe he did it on purpose, I don’t know, but I got a hit and he’s in Killarney, H.” Jamie says quickly and clearly.

Harry’s heart immediately drops into his stomach but he doesn’t panic. His training kicks in and he immediately starts making a list in his head of what he needs to do, “Thanks, bud. Do me a favour yeah? Call the police and get them to this venue now. This guy is in Killarney and probably planning something. I’ll need back up.”

“You got it. Be careful, H,” Jamie says, then they hang up and Harry takes off jogging, on a mission to find Niall.

“Have you seen Niall?” Harry asks everyone he sees, not having any luck until John comes off the stage and tells him he saw Niall out taking pictures of the stage a few minutes ago. Harry thanks him and takes off into the main area of the venue, his head on a swivel as he searches for the man he knows without a doubt he’s in love with.

He’s had no luck for almost five minutes when he finally hears noises coming from’s the men’s toilet near the main entrance to the venue. He runs toward it and pushes the door open, his heart stopping when he sees a large man pinning Niall to the wall with his hands around his throat.

“Hey!” Harry shouts, distracting the man enough for him to loosen his grip on Niall and turn his head toward the noise. Harry sprung forward, grabbing the man by the shoulders and pulling him off Niall. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Niall sink down onto the floor, coughing as he struggled to get his breath back. He’s alive, thank God, and Harry wants nothing more than to go to him, pick him up and carry him out for medical attention, but he can’t - he’s got something to do first.

Returning his attention back to Niall’s stalker, Harry narrowly misses a punch, having it glance off his shoulder instead and he gets a good swing in himself, feeling the man’s nose breaking as his knuckles connect with the bone. “How do you like this, huh? Fighting someone your own size?”

The man spit blood and struggled against Harry’s hold, all while smiling a sick smile that made Harry want to snap the guy’s neck. The bastard was enjoying this!

“Do you think I’m just going to go away quietly?” The man asks, the sick smirk still on his face, his nose still dripping blood, “I think you’ll find I’m a much worthier opponent than you were expecting.”

With that, the man roughly pulled away from Harry’s hold and swung out quick as lightning, his right fist connecting with Harry’s stomach and his left connecting with Harry’s chin. Harry staggered back in surprise and the man came at him again but Harry’s training immediately kicked in and he blocked the next punch then delivered one of his own. This guy wasn’t kidding - he seems to have some fighting experience. Probably boxing judging by the way he was standing and how quickly his feet moved underneath him. Oh well. If he wants to box then boxing he’ll get.

The two men circle each other and trade jabs for the next few minutes, Harry checking out of the corner of his eye to see if Niall is alright. The younger lad seems to have caught his breath now so Harry tells him to leave, “Get out of here, Niall! Go! The police are on their way.”

Niall is back on his feet now and Harry can see the scared look on his face before he has to move to avoid a punch, “Harry! Oh my God.”

“Niall I told you to go! I can handle this! Go find the police and get yourself safe! Now!” Harry says sternly, hoping to God Niall listens to him.

“No!” Niall screams, “I’m not leaving you here with him!”

“Niall - “ Harry is cut off when the stalker all of a sudden charges at him and the two men stumble to the ground hard. Niall screams loudly and Harry’s vision momentarily goes all fuzzy as he feels a sharp pain in his abdomen. He shakes it off thanks to the adrenaline running through his body and with a loud grunt he manages to roll the other man off of him so he could roll on top and pin his body down.

“HARRY!” Niall is screaming hysterically now, “Oh God, Harry! You’re bleeding! Oh God, oh God, oh God. Harry look out!!!”

Harry looks down in time to see the man underneath him thrusting a knife at him and is able to knock it out of his hand before he can stab Harry for (apparently) a second time. Harry can’t worry about that now. He can hear Niall hysterical behind him and he has a very deranged mad man underneath him. He needs to neutralize this situation once and for all before something else happens and this bastard gets to Niall.

“Niall. Please. Get out of here now! You don’t - you don’t want to see this. I promise you,” Harry says, already feeling a little light headed from loss of blood.

“NO! Nooooooo!” Niall wails, “I’m not leaving you! Please, Harry! Oh God! Somebody help us!!!” Niall screams out the door of the toilet.

Harry shakes the fuzziness from his head and reaches down to wrap his hands around the other man’s neck. He really didn’t want Niall to see this but the younger man is being the stubborn Irishman he always claims to be and isn’t listening to Harry. So he has no choice and all he can do is hope Niall doesn’t see him any differently after this.

“Time to say goodnight, sweetheart,” Harry murmurs, and with the last of his strength he snaps the guys neck just like he was trained to do in the military.

The last thing Harry hears before he passes out is Niall screaming his name.

  
~~~

 

Niall is going crazy. It’s been two hours since Harry was taken away by an ambulance, unconscious and bleeding from his stomach, and Niall is still at the arena, unable to leave until the police tell him he can. He is the only witness to what happened and he’s had to give his statement over and over again to different people then wait while they verify everything having to do with his bastard stalker. It’s excruciating, pacing back and forth and nearly pulling his hair out while Harry could be dying or worse dead over at the hospital.

“Niall,” Ellie speaks softly, concern and worry all over her face, “Please, love, lets get you changed into a new set of clothes okay? I’ve got you a new pair of jeans and a t-shirt.”

Niall continues to pace but he glances over at Ellie and she is indeed holding a change of clothes for him. He looks down at himself and immediately remembers he still has Harry’s blood on him. After Harry had killed the stalker and passed out, Niall had fell down next to him and kept pressure on the wound until the police and paramedics came charging in. Once Harry was taken away, Niall was still in a state of shock and only remembers someone taking him to the sink to wash the blood from his hands and arms but it was still on his clothes, dried in and an ugly reminder of what happened to Harry.

“I - “ Niall pauses as he looks up at Ellie, not sure what to do. He doesn’t know what to do. He just wants to be with Harry. He needs to know if he’s okay.

Ellie comes over and slides an arm around his shoulders and gently guides him out into the hallway and to the toilet, “Go on, love. Hand the old clothes out to me when you’re done.”

Niall does what she says, taking the clean clothes from her and shutting the door behind him. He takes his clothes off with shaking hands and puts on the new ones. It doesn’t really make him feel any better but at least he isn’t covered in blood.

He uses the toilet quickly, then washes his hands while looking at himself in the mirror. He’s more pale than he’s ever been and his skin looks pasty. His eyes are filled with unshed tears and worry - so much fucking worry - over Harry. He loves Harry so much. So so much and he knew that. He knew he had fallen in love with Harry but it wasn’t until he saw Harry fighting to protect him that he realized just how much. It wasn’t until he saw Harry bleeding on the floor that he realized he can’t live without him. Harry - Harry is his _person_. The one he’s meant to spend his life with. He can feel it with every fibre of his being and now the thought of not getting to spend his life with Harry, not getting to tell him how much he loves him, makes him physically ill. So ill that he barely makes it back to the toilet in time before he vomits.

He’s not sure how long he’s there on his knees with his head stuck in the toilet but he eventually feels a hand on his back and a cold bottle of water pressed against his neck. The coolness feels nice, is a relief against his skin. He turns his head and smiles weakly when he sees it’s Tara and gratefully accepts the bottle of water. He drinks half of it in one go, then stands up on his shaky legs, looking around the room to find his bloody clothes already gone. Ellie must have come in while he was vomiting or Tara handed them out. Either way he loves his team. They always take care of him.

“There’s a police inspector outside. He wants to speak with you. Are you up to it?” Tara asks softly while rubbing his back.

Niall sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know what I can tell him any different than what I already told the Gardai and the sergeant but I guess I have no choice.”

They made their way back into the dressing room where a man in his fifties was waiting for him, “Mr. Horan. I’m Inspector O’Reilly.”

The man held his hand out to Niall so Niall shook it and said hello quietly before standing back with his hands linked together in front of him, waiting for the man to speak.

“I understand it’s been a harrowing night for you and I’m sure you want nothing more than to get out of here. I have good news for you. I’ve spoken with my sergeant and we’ve got all the information on your attacker from your managers as well as Scotland Yard. We’re going to speak with the police in Los Angeles as well but we’re satisfied that we have enough information now to call this an open and shut case. It’s clear Mr. Styles was acting in self defence and it’s unlikely he’ll be facing any charges. None of this is official yet, of course, but we should have it all tied up in a few days. You’re free to go now. We have your managers information if we need to be in contact with you again.” The inspector says, a kind look on his face.

Niall can’t believe it. He’s finally allowed to leave! “Thank you, Inspector. Thank you.”

The inspector says goodnight then Niall turns to everyone in the room and says, “I need to get to the hospital! Right now! I need to get to Harry!”

“I’ll drive you. We’ll go out the back. It’s a mess outside. It wasn’t a secret you were rehearsing here so when the police came in droves the press came with them,” Basil says, grabbing his jacket along with Niall’s.

“Richard and Harry got on a plane from London right away. Harry is coming here, Richard will meet you at the hospital, Niall. I’ll stay here and make sure whatever Harry and your publicist came up with for a statement is okay with you,” Tara says, hugging Niall quickly, “Nothing will be released without your approval. I promise.”

Niall nodded and tried to smile at his assistant, “Thank you. You know me. You know what I’ll be okay with. I trust you to handle it.”

“I know,” Tara smiled reassuringly and squeezed Niall’s hand, “He’s more to you than just an employee isn’t he?”

Niall nodded and ducked his head, his hand trembling in hers, “I’m in love with him. We - we planned on starting a relationship once the stalker business was all over with. Now I don’t even know if he’s - “

Niall chokes back a sob and Tara hugs him again, rubbing his back and making soothing noises in his ear, “Don’t think like that. Harry’s tough. He didn’t survive war just to go out like this. He’ll fight and you’ll get to be together. You’re going to tell me all about it later too! I had no idea about any of it. I’ll need all the gossip!”

Niall half laughs, half sobs, “If it means Harry is going to be okay I’ll tell you whatever you want.”

Tara snorted, “You might regret saying that to me when Harry turns out to be fine. For now you go be with your boy.”

His boy. This is the first time he’s hearing someone be referred to as his boy and it...God it does something he can’t describe to his heart. Harry Styles _is_ his boy and he needs to go be with him now and tell him he’s in love with him.

“Niall,” Jake calls out before Niall exits the room, “Have Basil let us know as soon as you know something okay? Harry is part of the crew now. We care about him. Tell him that would ya?”

Niall gets choked up again and nods his head, “I definitely will.”

Niall leaves with Basil then and the minutes it takes to get to the hospital feels like hours. When they finally get there and rush into the A&E, Richard is just getting there himself and tells Niall to stay out of sight while he finds out what’s going on with Harry.

“Fuck that,” Niall says and walks past Richard to the information desk, “Hello. I need information. Harry Styles. Where is he? Is he okay? He was brought in a couple hours ago. He was stabbed. Please! Is he okay?”

The nurse looks up at him and it’s obvious she recognizes him but to her credit she doesn’t react - she remains professional, “Are you a family member, Sir?”

Fuck. Niall has seen way too many films and tv shows to know how this goes. If he tells the truth he’ll be told only family can have information on Harry. Only family can see Harry. So he makes a decision and to hell with the consequences, “He’s my boyfriend.”

The nurses eyes widen but that’s nothing compared to the noise that comes out of Richard. In fact, Niall is positive his manager is about to blow up at him in front of a half full waiting area but Basil seems to have put a stop to that for now, judging by the nasty glare he is giving Richard along with the hand that is clasped very tightly around Richard’s arm.

Again, the nurse quickly composes herself and acts professionally and Niall is very grateful for her right now, “Of course, Sir. If you’ll follow me I’ll have the doctor paged to come speak with you.”

Niall nods and they all follow her to an empty room that looks like a lounge area. Maybe for the staff. She must realize the need for privacy given who Niall is and again Niall is so grateful for this nurse.

“Niall! What the fuck??” Richard let’s loose as soon as the three of them are alone.

“Not now, Richard. I’ll explain everything later. Right now all that matters is Harry.” Niall says, waving Richard off with one hand as he begins to pace.

“But - how - when did this happen? How long has this been going on? We have to - “

“Richard!” Niall snaps, “I said not now! Harry could be dying for all we know! I’m not going to stand here and listen to you go on about my public image or tell me I can’t like men because I _do_ and I don’t give a fuck who knows about it!”

Richard huffs and takes a little step back from Basil who is hard core glaring at him now, “I wasn’t going to tell you you can’t like men but like it or not you have a job that makes your public image matter. Announcing to the world that you’re gay or whatever you are will take time. I was simply going to ask you not blurt your relationship with Harry out in front of random people like you just did with that nurse. You’re right that it isn’t the time to discuss this, though, so I will leave it for now.”

“Good. Thank you,” Niall says, then he resumes his pacing until a doctor walks into the room.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Ryan. I was told one of you is the partner of Harry Styles?” The woman says, a chart in her hands.

“Yes! That’s me. Niall. I’m Niall,” Niall shakes the doctor’s hand nervously, “Is Harry okay?”

“He is,” Dr. Ryan nods, “He required surgery to repair some damage to his large intestine. It was fairly routine with no complications. He is resting comfortably in recovery now and will soon be moved to his room.”

“Oh my God,” Niall breathed out, his whole body relaxing immediately. His legs felt like they wouldn’t be able to hold him up much longer and perhaps Basil sensed that because he was there all of a sudden with a comforting hand on Niall’s shoulder, “Thank God. Can I see him? What about his Mum? Has she been told?”

“I handled all of that on the plane ride over here, Niall,” Richard cut in, “Since Harry is employed by Modest! I have his next of kin information. I spoke to his mother personally to let her know what happened and she is getting the next flight over here. I also passed along the next of kin information to the hospital on my way here.”

“Yes. We got the information and I spoke with Mrs. Twist after the surgery was complete. I believe I caught her just before she was boarding her flight. She is fully up to speed. As for your other question - as soon as Harry is in his room you may see him. He’ll likely be groggy but I’m sure he’ll be happy to see his significant other, “ Dr. Ryan said with a smile on her face.

Niall smiled, a real smile for the first time since before this all happened, and shook the doctor’s hand again, “Thank you so much, Doctor.”

“If you have any questions don’t hesitate to have me paged. A nurse will be back in to let you know when Harry is in his room and ready for a visitor,” Dr. Ryan says, then she leaves the room and Niall sits down on a couch, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

“Thank God he’s okay. Thank God,” He murmurs into his hands, not really talking to Basil or Richard.

“I’ll call Harry at the arena. He can let everyone there know that your Harry is okay,” Richard said, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

His Harry. Niall really liked the sound of that. It wasn’t quite true though, was it? He lied when he said Harry is his boyfriend. They’re not technically together yet and after all of this, Niall can’t even be sure if Harry will still even want him. Niall doesn’t know the whole story but clearly Harry lost someone when he was at war and it’s still affecting him to this day. Now that he’s been attacked and injured again he might completely close himself off and then where will they be? The thought of losing Harry terrifies him but right now he still needs to be here for the man he loves. If Harry sends him away...well he’ll deal with that if it happens.

  
~~~

  
Harry feels like he’s floating on air after the surgery he was told he had. He knows it’s the pain medication making him feel that way because he’s been here before, in an ugly hospital room with plain walls, waiting for his body to recover. He finds he’s not too bothered by it this time though. He remembers exactly what happened. He remembers snapping that guy’s neck before he must have passed out from blood loss. With the stalker dead he knows Niall is safe and that’s all that matters to him. Even if Niall can’t look at him ever again after watching him kill a man, that’s okay. He’s safe, he’s alive, and that’s all that matters to Harry.

“Harry, love, how are you doing?” The nurse asks him as she walks into the room with a smile on her face.

“‘M good. Like ‘m floatin’. Pain meds must be workin’” Harry tells her in a croaky voice.

The nurse laughs and pats him on the arm, “That they are. I’m guessing that means you’re comfortable?”

“No complaints,” Harry tells her, giving her a closed mouth smile.

“That’s good, love. Everything looks just fine. Vitals are good and you’re not in any pain. You’ll be groggy for a bit. Probably be in and out of sleep. You have a visitor who is very anxious to see you though. Are you up for it?” The nurse asks.

Harry turns his head on the pillow and looks at the nurse with groggy eyes. A visitor? His Mum and sister must be here, “Yes. I’m good.”

“Alright. I’ll be back to check on you soon. Use the call button if you need me,” She says, then she leaves the room and Harry closes his eyes again, resting while he waits for his Mum and sister.

A couple minutes later Harry hears someone enter the room and walk toward his bed. He smiles softly but doesn’t open his eyes - at least he doesn’t until he smells cologne and realizes it’s not his Mum. He’d know that cologne anywhere. It’s Niall’s. Niall is here to see him! What? Why?

“Niall?” Harry opens his eyes a bit and looks up at the sweet face of the man he loves more than anything, “What - what are you doing here?”

A worried look crosses Niall’s face and he shrinks back, looking unsure of himself all of a sudden, “I’m sorry. Do you want me to leave? I - I’d understand.”

Harry’s head is fuzzy and he’s not sure he’s understanding properly. He doesn’t want Niall to leave. Why would he want that? No. No. He can’t believe Niall is actually here after what he watched Harry do. He definitely doesn’t want him to leave, “Leave?” Harry answers, reaching out a hand to Niall, “No. Don’t leave. Never want you to leave.”

Niall takes his hand and sits down on the chair next to the bed, pulling it close so he can lean over the railing, “I won’t leave if you don’t want me to. I promise.”

Harry squints his eyes while he looks at Niall, trying to focus through the fuzziness in his brain, “Why would I want you to leave?”

Niall looks down at his lap and shrugs a shoulder before looking back up at Harry, “It’s my fault you’re here. My fault you got hurt.”

“What? No. Baby, no,” Harry says as emphatically as he can while being hopped up on drugs, “You didn’t hurt me. Someone was after you and he hurt me. It’s not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself. Please.”

Niall looks at him with tears brimming in his eyes, looking completely unsure. Harry hates seeing him like that and no matter how fuzzy he is right now he’s not going to let Niall beat himself up over this.

“Niall,” Harry struggles to push himself further up on the bed, wincing when he pulls at his stitches a bit. Niall immediately makes him lay back down and Harry doesn’t fight him but he holds on tight to his hand and looks him right in the eye, “I promise you, baby, this wasn’t your fault okay? Please believe me. I need you to understand. The actions of this man were not your fault.”

A few tears spilled over onto Niall’s cheeks but he wiped them away quickly and smiled softly at Harry, “I believe you. I - logically I know you’re right. I was just so scared when you passed out and you were just laying on the floor bleeding. I ran to you and I pressed as hard as I could to try and stop the bleeding in your stomach but I - but I didn’t know if it was enough and then I couldn’t go with you to the hospital because the police had questions and - and - “

“Hey,” Harry smiled at his love, reaching up with his free hand to gently brush a finger over Niall’s cheek, “Everything is okay now. I’m told I’m going to be just fine,” He paused a moment, then, “You did that for me, hmm? Kept me from bleeding too much.”

Niall held Harry’s hand against his cheek and laughed softly, “Of course I did. I would do anything for you. If I wasn’t sure of that before well...I’m definitely sure of it after today.”

Harry swallows thickly and looks at Niall sadly, “Even after what you saw me do?”

Niall looks confused, “What do you mean?”

Harry feels tears pricking at his eyes and closes them tight to push them away. He feels Niall lean closer to him, his fingers caressing Harry’s cheek gently, “Harry? What’s wrong? Are you in pain? I can get the nurse.”

Harry shakes his head and takes a deep breath, opening his eyes so he can look at Niall, “No, baby, I’m not in pain. Not physically anyway. I just - I hate what you saw me do. I never wanted you to have to see that but you’re so damn stubborn and refused to leave me. I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me after that. That’s why I was shocked to see you here.”

Niall’s mouth drops open a bit and his eyes move from side to side while he’s clearly thinking over everything, trying to think of what Harry is talking about. When he realizes, his lips form an ‘O’ shape, then he scoffs and shakes his head at Harry, “Are you talking about because you killed my stalker? Why would I not want anything to do with you after that? You saved my life, Harry, and you saved your own, too, because after you were stabbed and started losing blood it was only a matter of time before you passed out. If you hadn’t...done what you did, that asshole would have left you to bleed to death and killed me while he was at it.”

Niall is right. Harry knows he is. That was the whole reason Harry had to kill the man. He knew he was losing blood and knew he was losing strength. To protect Niall the only option was to eliminate the man once and for all. His training taught him that a long time ago and that training will stay with Harry for the rest of his life. It doesn’t go away just because he isn’t in the military anymore. Still...Niall knowing he’s killed people before and actually watching him kill a man are two different things.

“Niall...you watched me kill a man. You saw a man die. That’s not easy to deal with. I’d understand if you felt afraid of me now,” Harry says quietly.

“Afraid of you?” Niall looks shocked for a moment, then he starts laughing - soft giggling that almost makes him sound like a kid rather than a twenty-four year old man. It’s quite endearing but Harry is confused about why it’s happening, “I’m not afraid of you, you daft fucker! I love you! I really fucking love you. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Seeing you kill a man to protect me isn’t going to change that. Not one bit.”

Harry is stunned. So stunned he can’t speak and wonders if maybe he heard wrong? Maybe these drugs are really messing with his head?

Niall laughs again, louder this time, then leans over the bed railing and kisses Harry gently on the lips, smiling softly when he pulls back, “Yes, it’s true. I’m in love with you, you big dork. I can see the shock on your face but I don’t know why. I already told you I was falling for you weeks ago.”

“You love me? Truly?” Harry asks softly, still in shock but so, so grateful that everything hasn’t been ruined by the days events.

“Truly. Madly. Deeply.” Niall says, punctuating each word with a kiss to Harry’s plump lips.

Harry smiled then started giggling like a five year old, “That’s a song.”

“It is,” Niall confirmed, a look of pure fondness on his face that has Harry thinking ‘I did that. He’s looking at _me_ like that’, “Would you like me to sing it to you?”

“You know it?” Harry asks, eyes wide, “You were like...four when it came out,”

Niall cackles and buries his head in Harry’s chest, “Oh my God! You must really be high right now. What has age got to do with it? Most of my favourite songs are from ten, twenty, thirty, forty years before I was born.”

Harry giggles again, the pain medication must be fully affecting him now. Before he just felt nice and light like a feather. Now he has the giggles, “Oh. I forgot.”

Niall laughs and picks his head up off Harry’s chest, “I think it’s time I let you rest.”

“Nooooo,” Harry pouts, grabbing on to Niall’s hand tighter, “Don’t want you to leave.”

Niall shakes his head and moves a piece of hair off of Harry’s forehead, “How does a thirty year old man look like a child when he’s pouting?”

Harry grins, his cheeks dimpling and his eyes mischievous, “It’s one of my many talents.”

Niall snorts and pulls Harry’s blankets up to his chin, “Get some rest, troublemaker. I’ll stay here and wait for your Mum. She’s on her way.”

“Okay,” Harry nods, content that Niall wouldn’t leave him while he sleeps. He closes his eyes and starts to drift off, opening them when he remembers he forgot something, “Niall?”

“Hmm?” Niall looks up from his phone.

“I love you, too,” Harry smiles sweetly at him, “Got distracted by the song and forgot to tell you.”

The look of love, adoration, and fondness that comes across Niall’s face in that moment is the last thing Harry sees before he falls asleep.

  
~~~

  
When Harry wakes up again some time later, he feels a lot less fuzzy and more clear headed. He hears quiet voices over by the window where there’s a couch underneath and when his eyes focus he can see his Mum sitting there with Niall, looking at something on Niall’s phone.

“Mum. Hey,” Harry says, his voice sounding gravelly after having a tube down his throat for surgery.

His Mum’s head snaps up and she smiles big at Harry, getting up to move to his bedside, “Baby! Oh Harry, how are you feeling, love?”

Harry smiles and hugs his Mum with one arm when she bends down to kiss his cheek, “I’m good, Mum. Less groggy than before.”

Anne laughed and wiped the lipstick off his cheek from her kiss, “Yes. Niall told me you were quite giggly earlier.”

Niall appeared next to Harry’s Mum and smiled down at him while reaching for his hand, “I kind of regret not thinking to record you. I think your Mum would have enjoyed that.”

Harry rolled his eyes and smacked his dry lips together, “Any water here?”

His Mum reached for a jug and glass on the table next to the bed, filling the glass with water and handing it to Harry, “The nurse said you might be thirsty when you woke up.”

Harry nodded and drank a bit of the water, clearing his throat before he speaks, “How long was I asleep?”

“About five hours,” Niall answers when Anne looks to him for confirmation.

“Wow. Have you been here that whole time?” Harry asks, his heart melting at the thought.

“Told you I wouldn’t leave, didn’t I?” Niall says while he brings a chair over next to the bed for Anne and another one for himself.

“You did,” Harry nods, “What have you been doing all this time?”

Niall shrugs and sits down, crossing one leg over the other, “I had some work to do, some contracts to look over for a young guy I’m signing to my golf management company. Had to chat with Mark about a few amendments then I switched gears a bit and dealt with the press release regarding what happened today here in Killarney. Fans knew I was at the arena rehearsing so when tons of police and ambulances showed up things got a bit out of hand on Twitter and social media in general. Richard released a statement explaining about my stalker and that he is no longer a threat and I made a little video for the fans and put it on twitter to show them I’m perfectly okay. Things should settle down now.”

“Your Niall is quite the businessman,” Anne says, smiling at Niall, “I got to see him in action while you were asleep. It was impressive. He’s a smart young man. You’re lucky to have him.”

Niall is looking down at his lap, blushing profusely while Harry grins at his Mum and asks, “And how do you know he’s _my_ Niall?”

“Oh please,” Anne scoffs, “I already know how you feel about him and he wouldn’t have been here and stayed here all this time in the hospital if he didn’t feel the same way. Your old Mum isn’t stupid, Harry.”

“You’re also not old, Mum. You’re fifty-five but look like you’re forty,” Harry rolls his eyes at his Mum, “You’re right about one thing though, I love Niall very much but he hasn’t agreed to be _mine_ yet so...”

Niall looks up, his cheeks still red from blushing, and smiles at Harry, “Only because you haven’t asked me to be. Spoiler alert - when you do? The answer is yes.”

Now it’s Harry’s turn to blush and when he hears his Mum cooing he’s reminded this conversation is happening in front of her and looks at Niall sheepishly, “Perhaps we’ll talk about this when it’s not in front of my Mum?”

Niall laughs and Anne huffs, playfully rolling her eyes at the two of them, “Well that’s no fun at all.”

“Mummmmm,” Harry whines, making Anne laugh and rub a hand over Harry’s forearm affectionately.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop being a nosy Mum,” Anne relents, “I’m happy to see you looking so good,” She changes the subject, “Your sister is in America for work. When the doctor called and told me you’d be perfectly fine I told Gemma to finish the interview for her article and not to rush home. I knew you’d hate it if she put her work on hold. She’s going to call you tomorrow and she’ll be back in a few days.”

Harry nods, his fingers playing with the edge of the blanket covering him, “That’s fine. I’m glad she didn’t rush home. No point. I doubt I’ll even be in the hospital for too long.”

“About that,” Niall clears his throat, “I just want to let you know that all your medical expenses will be paid by my management company. They hired you to be my bodyguard and you signed a contract and since you got injured while working it’s covered under their insurance. Also, once you’re released from hospital they’re going to arrange for you and your Mum to fly back to England privately so you can relax and not get caught up in all the craziness of flying commercial.”

“And don’t even bother trying to say no. I’m getting you home as soon as you’re out of here and I’m taking care of you at my house until you’re all healed. I’ve already thanked Niall and his managers so you’re going to have to deal with it,” Anne says in a no nonsense voice.

Harry widens his eyes and holds his hands up in surrender. He knows better than to argue with his Mum. Besides, he did get injured while working and wouldn’t think twice about his employers paying the medical bills if it were any other company so he couldn’t treat anything differently just because Niall is his...maybe boyfriend.

“Good!” Anne pats Harry’s arm then stands up, “I would love a cup of tea right now. Niall, can I bring anything back for you?”

Niall quickly stands up from his chair and motions towards Anne, “I can get you a tea, Anne. You stay and visit with Harry.”

Anne smiled at Niall and shook her head, “Thank you, love, but I’m fine. I’m going to have a little walk and call my daughter. Give you two a little time to chat.”

Before Harry or Niall could object, Anne picked up her hand bag and winked at the two of them before quickly exiting the room with her long brown hair swinging behind her.

“I’m so sorry about my Mum,” Harry groaned, swiping a hand over his face, “She couldn’t be any more obvious if she tried.”

Niall laughed and sat back down in his chair, reaching for Harry’s hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed the back of it then rested it against his cheek, smiling softly at Harry, “I don’t mind. She’s a lovely woman. I also have to admit I’m dying to talk about us and where we stand now that you’re more alert. I just - I can’t stop thinking about it. I knew I was falling for you but seeing you unconscious and bleeding on the floor really made it hit home for me how much I love you. How much I need you.”

Harry nodded and exhaled slowly, tears gathering in his eyes as he thought about almost losing Niall today, “I know exactly what you mean because the same thing happened to me. I knew I was falling for you but I didn’t fully understand how in love with you I am until I walked into that toilet and saw that... _bastard_ with his hands around your throat. It did something to me I can’t explain. The rage I felt - my God it consumed me. I just - I love you so much, baby. More than anything.”

Harry’s last words were so choked up he barely got them out, then Niall was crying too and throwing himself into Harry’s arms the best he could without hurting his healing wound.

“I love you, too, H,” Niall whispered through his tears, “God. I really, really do. I love you and I just want to be with you so bad. I want to be yours. Just yours.”

“I want that too,” Harry whispered into Niall’s hair, “I want us to be together for real. You - you’ve been so incredible Niall,” Harry pulled back to look into Niall’s eyes, “You accepted that I needed to focus completely on my job and agreed to wait for me until your stalker was caught. You put your feelings aside and gave me the time and space I needed to delve into therapy and really start working on all my issues that followed me back from war. You’ve been so selfless and I can’t thank you enough.”

Niall smiled and pecked Harry’s lips softly, “I don’t need any thanks. I just want the best for you.”

Harry nodded, “I know you do and you’re what’s best for me so if your answer is still yes to being mine then - “

Niall cuts Harry off with a hard kiss, the both of them immediately smiling into it and not making it much of a kiss at all, “I love you, H. My answer is still yes and will always be yes.”

Harry smiles wide and and pulls Niall into a hug again, whispering that he loves him so much and thanks him over and over again for being so patient with him. Niall just laughs and holds on to him and it’s the best feeling in the world until Harry gets fed up with the railing and his restrictions because of his stitches.

“Hey,” Harry whispers, looking around Niall’s head toward the door, “Get up here in this bed with me. Please?”

“Harry,” Niall laughed, “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I _am_ resting,” Harry rolls his eyes, “I really don’t think it’s too much to ask that my boyfriend come up here and cuddle me. I’ll probably heal faster.”

Niall shakes his head but the small smile on his face and the tiny hint of red on his cheeks let’s Harry know that Niall is quite endeared by him at the moment and is definitely going to give in, “Alright I’ll get on the bed with you. Let me help you move over, yeah? So you don’t hurt yourself.”

Harry agrees and lets Niall help him move over on the bed and fluff his pillows behind him. When he’s satisfied he takes his shoes off and gets in the bed next to Harry, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and letting him cuddle into his side.

“You called me your boyfriend,” Niall says after a few moments of silence, a silly grin on his face.

“Mmm,” Harry hummed, his finger tracing over the knuckles on Niall’s hand, “That’s what you are.”

Niall rests his chin on the top of Harry’s head, the silly grin still on his face, “I love hearing you say it.”

“Well good because I love saying it,”

“I’m going to feel like the worst boyfriend in a couple of days when I have to leave you here and start my tour,” Niall says quietly, the distress evident in his voice.

“There’ll be none of that,” Harry insists, “You have a job to do and you’re not going to feel bad for doing it. Besides...I’ll see your shows.”

“What?” Niall sounds surprised. He lets go of Harry and Harry lifts his head to look up at him, “How? You better not be thinking you’re going to leave this hospital before you’re ready to come see my opening show? I swear to God, Harry!”

“Relax,” Harry laughed, “I’m not going to risk further injuring myself. As if my mother would let that happen anyway! I just meant I can go on Twitter and watch one of the live feeds your fans are bound to have.”

“You? On Twitter? You don’t even have an account!”

“This is true,” Harry grins, his dimples deepening in his cheeks, “But my bestest friend ever gave me her name and password months ago so I could log on and secretly check you out.”

Niall laughed in disbelief, his mouth hanging open as he looked into Harry’s sparkling green eyes, “Oh my God! You cheeky bugger! What have you been up to then? On all the fan pages are ya?”

“Obviously,” Harry rolled his eyes, “I’ve learned all the Twitter slang too. You, Niall Horan, have snatched my wig.”

Niall’s eyes widen and the loudest cackle comes out of his mouth, startling the both of them and threatening to get Niall kicked out. Harry bursts into laughter himself but thinks quickly and slaps a hand over Niall’s mouth to try and block the noise before a nurse comes in to find out what is going on.

“Oh my _fucking_ God,” Niall cackles into Harry’s hand, making Harry snort and muffle his own laughter in Niall’s shirt.

It takes five minutes but they manage to calm their laughter down to quiet giggling and Harry removes his hand from Niall’s mouth.

“Jesus Christ,” Niall curses, shaking his head and wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, “I wasn’t expecting to hear that. When exactly have I snatched your wig, Mr. Styles?”

“When haven’t you?” Harry snorts, “Every time I put it back on you fucking snatch it again!”

Niall started cackling again, this time turning his head to try and muffle the sound with Harry’s pillow. Harry laughs with him, watching him with sparkling eyes and a wide grin on his face. He’s so stupidly in love with this man that laying here and watching him laugh all night is something Harry would be perfectly willing to do.

Anne walks back into the room a moment later with a huge smile on her face and closing the door behind her, “Boys. I could hear you all the way down the hall. One of the nurses was making her way down here but I respectfully asked her to leave you alone. I told her my son was with his boyfriend and laughter is the best medicine. She wasn’t happy about it but she went back to her station. As much as I love seeing you two so happy and laughing together, maybe you could try to keep it down a little?”

Harry let out a few more giggles then cuddled back into Niall with a smile on his face, resting his head on Niall’s shoulder, “Can’t promise anything with this one around.”

“Shut up,” Niall says fondly, kissing the top of his head, “You started it. You’re a troublemaker. You’re going to drive your Mum crazy while you’re recovering.”

“That is probably true, Niall,” Anne says, taking a seat by the bed, “Look at you two. I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to have anyone in your hospital bed, Harry, so enjoy it while it lasts and...” Anne takes her phone out and snaps a picture, “...don’t mind me. I’ll just send this along to Gemma. You’re both absolutely adorable.”

Harry grins at his Mum and he has a feeling Niall is too, “You’re going to be seeing Niall around pretty often now, Mum.”

Anne takes a drink from her tea and nods her head, a knowing grin on her face, “I kind of had a feeling, darling. I look forward to hearing all about Niall and seeing him more often.”

The three of them talk for a bit longer, then a nurse comes in and fusses over Niall being in the bed and how visiting hours are over now anyway. Anne says goodnight to Harry first then leaves him and Niall alone to say their goodnight’s.

“I’ll be back to see you tomorrow after rehearsals. The venue will be released by the Garda before my show in a couple of days but for now we’ve got another place to rehearse apparently. Get some rest tonight, yeah? Text me if you need anything.” Niall says before leaning down and kissing Harry.

“I will. You get some sleep too. It’s been a long hard day. I love you, baby,” Harry says softly, his thumb caressing Niall’s cheek.

“I love you, too, H. Goodnight,” Niall whispers, then gives Harry one last kiss before heading out into the hall to meet Anne and escorting her to the hotel.

 

~~~

   
Starting his first ever world tour has been bittersweet for Niall. Going out there the first night in Killarney, then on to Dublin where he played to a sell out crowd at the 3arena where he has attended many shows himself was completely mind blowing and magical but a piece of him was missing. He got so used to Harry being there with him all the time that it was a bit disconcerting to turn around and not find him there. For brief moments Niall will forget his stalker is dead and his heart will jump in his throat when he can’t find Harry, then he remembers it’s all over and Harry is recovering at home with his Mum looking after him.

Niall has been doing okay though. He’s enjoying himself and loving every minute of every show. He knows that’s what Harry wants - the man himself tells him that everyday over the phone. He keeps assuring Niall he’s fine and that he wants him to just have fun and enjoy himself while touring. So that’s what Niall has been doing, then he calls Harry when he gets off stage and the two sometimes talk for hours. Harry fills Niall in about how he’s all over twitter now and that his sister made him his own account. Niall of course followed him right away and warned his boyfriend to keep his notifications off or else his phone would start blowing up once the fans figure out who he is.

Once the tour moves from Ireland to England, Niall actually gets to see Harry. He makes his way to Holmes Chapel on his off days, even if it means only getting half a day with Harry because he has to get back to London. He makes it work and being a bit more tired than usual is absolutely worth it when he’s wrapped in a blanket on Anne’s couch with Harry’s arms around him, laughing until he’s crying as Harry goes on and on about his new Twitter obsession. It’s endearing and hilarious all at the same time - watching a grown man finding accounts for stuff he likes and following them. When he follows his favourite designer, Gucci, and comments about one of their suits, he gets a reply back and the noise he makes has Anne rushing in from the kitchen thinking something bad has happened. It’s so hilarious when she smacks Harry with her dish towel that Niall nearly chokes laughing.

Niall thinks about moments like that a lot when he’s alone on the bus and it’s late. He’s cherishing every moment he gets with Harry until Harry is well enough to finally join him on tour but it still hurts when they’re not together and he’s missing him like crazy. It’s almost over now though. The U.K. leg of the tour is over and Niall is now in Georgia at The Masters doing work for his Golf company. Once the tournament is over he’s flying back to England and he’ll finally get to be with Harry for days on end without any interruption. He can’t fucking wait.

“Hey. Thinking about your man again?” Mark asks him with a smirk on his face as they make their way to their hotel rooms after Friday’s eighteen holes are finished.

“Fuck off you,” Niall glares at his friend and partner at Modest! Golf, “Or I’ll never tell you anything personal ever again.”

“So I’m right then?” Mark says with raised eyebrows.

“I hate you,” Niall says but he’s struggling not to laugh because...secretly he loves this. He doesn’t mind getting the piss taken out of him for being madly in love and in a relationship. He feels like the luckiest guy in the world.

Mark laughs and wraps an arm around Niall, pulling him into a one armed hug like an older brother would do, “It’s good to see you so happy and acting all dreamy. It was a hell of a shock but I’m happy for ya.”

Niall laughed and hid his face in Mark’s shoulder, “Yeah I’m pretty sure it was a big shock for everybody. Nobody had a clue I like men. I didn’t even have a clue until a couple years ago. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, though, so...”

“It shows,” Mark says, stopping when they reach his room, “We’re having dinner downstairs in the restaurant. You joining?”

“Think I’ll get room service. It’s quite late back home but Harry can’t sleep sometimes. I’m gonna see if he’s awake for a chat,” Niall says, knowing full well Mark will make fun of him and not even caring.

Mark doesn’t disappoint, “So whipped already. Say hi to Harry from me!”

“I will,” Niall laughs then makes his way to his own room, leaving his trainers by the door and flopping down on his large bed. He pulls his phone out and texts Harry even though it’s after midnight in England.

**Hi babe. In my room now. If you’re awake give me a call? Love you Xx**

Niall only has to wait two minutes for a response.

**Wide awake baby. How about a face to face chat in about ten minutes? Xx**

Niall grins at the prospect of Skyping with his boyfriend and quickly responds back.

**Sounds perfect to me. I’ll call you in 10 Xx**

Niall tosses his phone on the bed and stands up, stripping his shirt off over his head and heading into the bathroom. He drops his shorts and boxers and quickly steps into the shower, showering in five minutes so he could get out and have just enough time to order room service before he calls Harry.

Once he’s dried himself off and thrown on a t-shirt and shorts for bed, he gets the room service menu and decides on a burger and side salad then picks up the phone to order it when there’s a knock on his door. Frowning, Niall puts the phone down and goes over to the door, nearly choking on his own spit when he looks through the peephole and sees Harry.

“Fuck! Fucking - goddamn this fucking door!” Niall curses as he struggles to get it unlocked and opened. When he finally does he swings it open so hard it bangs against the wall and Harry is standing there in all his glory, smirking at him.

“Alright there, love?”

Niall stares at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, “What? Harry? How?”

Harry chuckles and reaches up to cup Niall’s cheek, gently brushing his thumb over Niall’s cheekbone, “Can I come in, love?”

Niall shakes himself out of it and nods his head frantically, stepping aside to let Harry into the room. When he closes the door behind him he throws himself into Harry’s arms, wrapping his arms around his boyfriends neck and burying his face in his neck, “You’re here! Oh my God, Harry! What are you doing here?”

Harry’s arms wrapped tight around Niall’s waist and he easily picked Niall up off his feet while nuzzling his nose against Niall’s neck near his ear, “Missed you. So fucking much. Couldn’t wait until you come home next week. Needed to be with you now.”

When Harry picked Niall up, Niall’s legs instinctively wrapped around his waist but now he tries to get down, “Harry! Put me down! What are you doing? You’re going to hurt yourself!”

Harry kissed the skin under Niall’s ear and chuckled softly, “I’m fine. Everything is fine. Just let me hold you.”

Niall frowned, worrying about Harry’s stomach, “But Harry - “

Harry held Niall around the waist with one arm and moved his other up to cup the back of Niall’s head. He pulled his face away from Niall’s neck and kissed the younger man softly, pecking his lips over and over again, “Shhh,” He whispers against Niall’s lips, “I’m fine, baby. Trust me, yeah? Let me hold you like this. Wanna be close to you.”

Niall’s whole body relaxed and felt tingly at Harry’s words. He’s never been kissed so sweetly before, never been touched so gently. It was the most incredible feeling he’s ever had, “Wanna be close to you, too. Missed you so much, H,”

They both remain silent for a few minutes while Harry slowly sways them back and forth, holding on to each other like it’s been years since they’ve seen each other. Eventually, Harry walks them over to the couch in the room and he sits down, positioning Niall on his lap, “Hey you.”

Niall grins and stares into Harry’s eyes, “Hey yourself. This is a huge fucking surprise!”

Harry laughs happily and leans in to kiss Niall softly, “That was the plan. I’m not sure what I enjoyed more - you cursing while trying to get the door open or the look on your face when you finally did get it open?”

“Oh for fuck sakes,” Niall tried to glare at Harry but he only ended up laughing and blushing at the way Harry was looking at him so adoringly, “How are you even here? I was supposed to go to your Mum’s house next week when I get home. Before tour starts up again in Paris and you can finally come with me.”

Harry put a hand on Niall’s leg, making Niall’s stomach swoop when he absentmindedly started brushing his thumb back and forth over the skin just above Niall’s knee, “I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and she told me I’m all healed. I can resume normal activities and go back to living my life. The first thing I did was book a flight then call Tara to give me your hotel information.”

“I just talked to her this morning! She didn’t say a word! Sneaky bugger she is,” Niall laughs, “I didn’t think your check up was until next week though?”

“It wasn’t,” Harry confirmed, “But I felt perfectly fine and I just wanted to finally be with you so I took an earlier appointment when they had a cancellation. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind! I’m so happy you’re here and that you’re okay. You’ll get to watch the last two rounds of golf with me tomorrow and Sunday as well!” Niall says excitedly.

Harry smiled and looked at Niall adoringly again, as if everything Niall said was precious. Niall wasn’t used to that kind of attention and it made him feel a bit shy and flustered. He liked it, though, he really, really liked it, “I’m looking forward to watching golf with you. The Masters is iconic and I’m happy to be here but honestly I just came here for you and if we stayed in the room for the rest of the week I wouldn’t complain one bit.”

A slow grin comes across Niall’s face and he squirms a little on Harry’s lap, “Oh really? And what could possibly keep us occupied in this room for the next two days straight?”

Harry looked at him, a very serious and intense look on his face, “Well. I thought we could play some Go Fish, maybe a bit of Monopoly...”

Niall threw his head back, cackling at Harry’s words. Harry started chuckling too, then out of nowhere Niall was being lifted up and in just three long strides, Harry was at the bed where he threw Niall onto it so hard he actually bounced up and down three times. When Harry climbed onto the bed on his knees and hovered over Niall, Niall’s breath caught in his throat and his heart began to beat faster.

“You like being handled rough like that don’t you? I haven’t forgotten,” Harry says, his voice a notch lower than usual which is... _so fucking incredible_ Niall feels his whole body respond to it, “Would you like to know something very important the doctor told me?”

Niall gulped and looked up into Harry’s eyes, arousal building in his stomach at the intensity he saw there, “Ye-“ Niall’s voice came out croaky so he cleared his throat and tried again, “Yes. Please. Tell me.”

Harry moved a little further up the bed so that his knees were on either side of Niall’s hips and both his hands were laying flat on the mattress framing Niall’s head. He leaned down lightly brushing his lips over Niall’s cheek before he moved closer to Niall’s ear, “She said...I could resume _all_ physical activity. Do you know why she told me that?”

Niall couldn’t speak. He was overwhelmed by the presence of Harry above him, his muscular arms straining as they held his weight up over him, the smell of his cologne, the feel of his lips on his cheek, his breath on his ear. He really, _really_ couldn’t speak so he simply shook his head and watched with wide eyes as Harry licked his lips above him.

“She told me that because I told her I have a very fit boyfriend whom I’m very much in love with and I wanted to know when it would be okay to have sex. You see...” Harry trailed off and let his teeth catch slightly on Niall’s earlobe before he lifted his head again to look into Niall’s eyes, “I’ve been dreaming of being with my fit boyfriend for a long time so I was quite anxious to get her answer.”

“Fuck,” Niall breathed out, his whole body thrumming with arousal now, “ _Fuck_ , Harry. You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamt about it and ended up waking up and wanking. I’ve never wanted anyone so much in my life. _Christ_.

Harry grinned and sat up, his ass resting on Niall’s thighs. He reached up and pulled his shirt off over his head, giving Niall a show of rippling muscle and dark tattoos. There was a scar that was still angry and pink from his surgery and Niall reached up to lightly trace over it with his index finger, “Does this hurt still?”

Harry looked down at Niall’s finger tracing his scar and shook his head, “Nope. Just itchy sometimes.”

Niall nodded and continued to trace over the scar, fascinated by it because it was a reminder of how Harry risked his life to save him. When Harry cleared his throat, Niall looked up and was quickly brought back to the moment, his stomach swooping again at the thought of what they were about to do.

“I’d do it all over again to keep you safe. I’d do it a hundred times to keep you safe. Do you know that?” Harry asked him softly, the look in his eyes turning soft and fond.

“I - “ Niall’s voice caught in his throat and he had to start again, “I do know that. You’ve always made me feel safe, even before you fell in love with me. I trusted you with my life and I would do it again in a heart beat.”

“Well,” Harry says, a small smirk appearing on his lips, “Let’s hope no other girl ignores her psychotic boyfriend because she can’t resist you. Not only because I’d rather you not be in danger again but because you’re mine and I’m not sharing.”

Niall cackled loudly and watched as Harry climbed off of him and began to take off his jeans. The playful smirk was still on his face but his eyes were intense again and Niall couldn’t help but let his laughter die out as Harry’s jeans came off, followed by his very tight Calvin Klein boxer briefs. He took his cock in his hand and tugged on it slowly, never once breaking eye contact with Niall.

“What do you want, baby? Hmm? I’m all yours. We can do whatever you want,” Harry says, his voice low and sexy.

Niall lay there on the bed, trying to control his breathing but not doing a very good job of it. What does he want? What _doesn’t_ he want? Looking at his very fit, very naked boyfriend right now is making Niall hot all over. He wants Harry to have his way with him. Pick him up and press him into the wall while he fucks him until they both come so hard they’re screaming. Then he wants to get on the bed and ride Harry, bounce up and down on his cock and scream his name over and over again. Dear Jesus he’s not going to survive this night.

“I can practically see what you’re thinking. It’s all over your face,” Harry says, letting go of his cock and standing at the bottom of the bed, “Come here.”

Niall quickly sat up and scrambled down to the bottom of the bed, sitting on the edge and allowing Harry to step in between his legs. Harry reached down and lifted the hem of Niall’s t-shirt so Niall quickly lifted his arms so Harry could take his shirt off for him. Once it was off Harry cupped his neck in his hand and leaned down to kiss him - slow at first, nudging their lips together and getting a taste. Then he slipped his tongue inside Niall’s mouth and Niall met it with his own tongue, the kiss becoming hot and heated almost instantly. Niall’s hands came up to grab onto the little bit of pudge on Harry’s hips, squeezing just hard enough to get a soft moan out of Harry. The sound egged Niall on and he kissed Harry harder and faster until they both had to pull back for breath.

“Harry. I wanna - “ Niall stopped to take a breath, his chest heaving, “I wanna suck you off. Didn’t get a chance to do it last time remember?”

Harry stepped back a little and lifted a hand to Niall’s cheek, his thumb brushing over Niall’s lips, “Are you sure? You’ve done this before right?”

Niall nodded eagerly, licking his lips and glancing down at Harry’s cock. He has experience - just not a lot. He’s only been with the one guy and Harry is definitely bigger than the other guy but Niall discovered he enjoys sucking cock and he really, really wants to feel how heavy Harry’s is in his mouth. He won’t be able to take it all, and maybe he’ll gag a bit, but he’s not worried because he’s with Harry. He feels safe and one hundred percent comfortable with Harry. He knows Harry loves him and will never make fun of him because he’s less experienced.

“Go ahead, baby. Do whatever you want.” Harry says gently, his hand moving to Niall’s hair and massaging his scalp with his fingers.

Niall looked up at Harry for a moment, then reached out with his left hand and wrapped it around Harry’s cock. He looked up again and saw Harry lick his lips, his eyelashes fluttering in anticipation of Niall putting his mouth on him. It gave Niall confidence and he licked his own lips before bringing Harry’s cock to his lips and wrapping them around the head, sucking it in and swirling his tongue around, getting an idea of how Harry feels and what he tastes like. He worked the rest of Harry’s cock with his hand, starting out slowly, really getting a feel for what he was doing before he really got going.

“That’s so good, baby,” Harry said in his deep, slow voice, his fingers slowly threading through Niall’s hair, “You’re doing so good.”

Harry’s praise had Niall blushing and eager to do more so he began to move his hand a bit faster while allowing some of his spit to drip down Harry’s cock to use as lube. He relaxed his throat and took a bit more of Harry’s cock in his mouth, bobbing his head up and down at the same pace as his hand. Above him, Harry was making soft moaning noise that assured Niall he was doing good so he kept on going, wanting nothing more than to please his boyfriend.

“Mmm,” Harry moaned softly, the hand not in Niall’s hair moving to cup Niall’s jaw and trace the outline of his own cock in Niall’s mouth, “You have no idea how good you look right now, baby. My cock filling your mouth and your cheeks all flushed. Fuck. You’re so good at this. Taking your time and making me feel so good. Love you so much.”

Niall whimpered and pulled off, gasping for breath while continuing to work Harry’s slick cock with his hand. He licked the precome and excess spit from his lips and looked up at Harry, the look of pleasure and lust in his eyes going straight to Niall’s cock.

After a moment to catch his breath, Niall went back down on Harry, moving faster now, jacking him off with his hand while taking as much as he could in his mouth. He bobbed his head faster, his eyes watering and making tears leak out the corners of his eyes. He didn’t mind it though. The sounds Harry was making made it all worth it.

“Fuck!” Harry cursed, gripping Niall’s hair tight in his hand so he could pull Niall off, “Fuck,” He breathed deep, “Gonna come if you keep going like that.”

Niall licked his lips, making Harry make a low, growling sound in his throat that send arousal right through Niall’s entire body, “Want you to fuck me, H. Been wanting it for a long time. Want to know what it feels like.”

Harry looked at him intensely, bending down so he was kneeling on the floor and they were face to face, “Have you - you’ve never - ?”

Niall shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Harry’s, “No. I’ve never been the bottom. You- you already know I only have experience with one man. I just...never wanted to with him. I want to with you. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for so long. Please, H. I trust you.”

Harry takes a deep breath and nods his head, “Okay. I’ll take care of you. We’re going to go slow at first though. It can hurt a bit and feel awkward if you’re not used to having something up there all the time.”

Harry stands up and walks naked over to where he dropped his duffel bag on the floor. He bends down to get something out of it and Niall is left speechless at his perfect, muscular, ass. He’s admired Harry’s ass many times in a tight pair of jeans or in suit trousers at the awards shows they went to in the fall but...fuck he’s never quite gotten to admire it like this before and while he’s busy ogling he completely forgets to tell Harry what he was going to tell him.

“You okay?” Harry asks when he turns back around, condoms and lube in his hands, “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready?”

Niall snaps out of his daze and licks his lips as he appreciates how gorgeous Harry is standing in front of him completely naked with a hard cock. He will never understand how he got so lucky as to get a man like this and he wasn’t about to keep asking. Harry loves him and that’s all he needs to know.

“No, I definitely want to. I’ve been wanting to for a long time. I was just thinking about what you said and, well, I didn’t say I’m not used to having something inside me. I just said I’ve never had someone’s cock inside me,” Niall says, his face red and hot from blushing profusely.

“Oh my God,” Harry practically moans, dropping the supplies on the bed before he grabs Niall’s face in his hands and kisses him passionately. When he pulls back a minute later, both men breathing heavily, he gives Niall an intense look and says, “You’re going to fucking kill me giving me images like that.”

Niall laughs and pulls Harry in closer by reaching around and putting both hands firmly on Harry’s muscular ass cheeks, “So now you know you don’t have to go slow and treat me like I’m fragile. I want it and I want it hard. Don’t hold back. Oh and I should warn you...you’ll need to fuck me against the wall before we leave this room. In the shower too. On every fucking surface of this room.”

Harry growls and picks Niall up from where he’s sitting on the end of the bed, tossing him further up the bed so that his head is on the pillows. While Niall laughs gleefully, Harry crawls up the bed like an animal after its prey and yanks Niall’s shorts and boxers off, leaving Niall completely naked and almost completely hard in the center of the bed.

“I’ll fuck you wherever you want. You like that don’t you? That I’m bigger than you and can hold you up against the wall while fucking you real good?” Harry says in Niall’s ear, a smirk on his face and his voice raspy.

Niall shudders underneath Harry, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck and sliding his fingers up into Harry’s hair, “You know I do. I’ve been fucking wanting it practically since I met you. It’s something no girl can ever do for me. Only you can. Only you.”

Harry rolls his hips over Niall, making their cocks brush together and Niall moaned lowly, his eyes rolling back in his head, “That’s right, baby. No girl will ever love your body the way I will. I’m going to take care of you the way you deserve. Make you feel like you’ve never felt before.”

“Christ!” Niall whispers right before Harry kisses him again, tangling their tongues together while slowly grinding his hips down on Niall. It’s the best fucking feeling in the world. Niall almost can’t believe it can feel any better than this but he knows it will. Knows he probably won’t even remember his own name once Harry is done with him. He’s more than okay with that.

When Harry pulls back from the kiss, he moves down Niall’s body, kissing down over his chest and licking over his nipples, paying both of them equal attention while Niall squirms on the bed underneath him. When he moves on he leaves open mouth kisses down over Niall’s stomach, licking his way through Niall’s happy trail and leaving a love bite there.

“Gonna open you up now,” Harry murmurs while he picks up the lube and coats his middle and index finger, “Finally gonna get a taste of your pretty cock too.”

Niall really doesn’t have time to respond before he feels Harry’s lips around his cock and looks down to see the way his plump lips pucker around the head of his dick. The sight is obscene and it gives Niall a thrill throughout his whole body to know that Harry is _his_ boyfriend and therefore only _he_ gets to see him this way.

“Jesus,” Niall curses and throws his forearm across his eyes when Harry deep throats him at the same time he’s scissoring him open, “Fucking Christ! Oh fuck!”

Harry smirks around Niall’s cock but doesn’t let up. When Niall begins to writhe around on the bed from so much pleasure, Harry uses his free hand to hold him down by his hip, digging his fingers in like he has a feeling Niall will like and yeah, Niall definitely likes. He moans deep in his throat and hopes to God and everything holy there are marks left on his hip the next day. It gives him a thrill to think about walking around in public with Harry’s finger marks bruised into his skin.

“You’re doing so good,” Harry murmurs when he pulls off Niall’s hard, red cock, licking precome off his lips, “You’re so responsive. I love watching you squirm and bite into your bottom lip like that.”

Niall opens his mouth to say something but Harry hooks the two fingers he has inside of him and when they come into contact with Niall’s prostrate he arches his back and his breath hitches as pleasure courses through his body. “Harry! I’m - “

“You’re what?” Harry asks as he inserts a third finger to stretch Niall open more, “Gorgeous laying there like that? All flushed for me? Because if that’s what you were going to say then I whole heartedly agree. You’re amazing, baby.”

“Harry - “ Niall chokes out, his whole body feeling like it’s on fire from the pleasure he was feeling and from Harry’s compliments and the way he looked at him. Harry’s full attention was on him, on making him feel good, and Niall has never had that kind of attention before - not on this level. He’s a gentleman and while having sex in the past he’s always been more concerned with making the girl he was with feel good more than he worried about himself. So this was a whole new experience for him, an overwhelming but good experience.

“God. You look and feel incredible, baby. I’ve never been so in love with someone before.” Harry says as he removes his fingers from Niall and opens up a condom. He puts it on and lubes himself up then wipes his hand in the sheet before crawling between Niall’s legs and draping his body over his. They lay together, chest to chest, and Harry kisses him thoroughly before pulling back and looking him in the eyes, “I love you. So much. You’ll tell me to stop if it’s too much right?”

Niall snorts and pulls Harry down into a quick kiss, “Listen, Styles, I’m feelin’ so fucking good right now, I doubt I’ll even notice a bit of pain. Of course it helps that you’re fit as fuck.”

Harry laughs his ridiculous laugh and immediately has Niall giggling too. It’s good. The moment is light and they’re both relaxed so when Harry begins to push in, just the head of his cock at first, Niall isn’t bothered much by it. Then after a few moments, Harry kisses him, delving his tongue inside Niall’s mouth and kissing him so thoroughly and languidly that Niall feels weak and barely notices the burning sensation he gets when Harry pushes all the way in.

Harry takes it slow from there, distracting Niall from any discomfort he may have by kissing him all over his face and neck while talking to him sweetly and telling him how much he loves him and all the ways he makes him feel. Niall loves every minute of it.

“You doing okay?” Harry asks him, kissing his nose and then over the freckles on his cheeks softly.

“Mhmm,” Niall murmurs, wrapping his legs around Harry and digging his heels into Harry ass cheeks, “Never had a toy inside me quite as big as you before but I’ve adjusted. You gonna fuck me now or what?”

Harry stops kissing along Niall’s neck and lifts his head to look Niall in the eye, his eyes intense, “Dunno if I can now that you’ve got me picturing you fucking yourself with a toy. You’re gonna have to show me exactly how you do that when we get back to London. Just an FYI for you there.”

Niall grins and gives Harry a cheeky look, “Don’t have to wait for London. I’ve got something in my bag for later.”

“Fuck,” Harry whispers, looking down at Niall in wonder, like he has no idea where Niall came from, “I love you so fucking much!”

Niall laughs his boisterous laugh and wiggles his hips under Harry, “Then fuck me! Come on!”

Harry grins and does as Niall says, moving his hips slowly for a minute before pulling out and fucking back in. He does this a few more times so Niall can get used to it then when he hears Niall moan with pleasure and feels his fingers digging into his back he starts a steady pace of fucking in and out of him, rolling his hips sometimes and really getting in there, making sure Niall gets the best experience.

“Yeah,” Niall murmurs, panting underneath Harry and tightening his legs around him, “Yeah, H, fuck. That - yeah that feels good.” Niall throws his head back and moans loudly after a particularly hard thrust and when he lifts his head back up to look at Harry he’s grinning, “Jesus you’re good at this. Fuck. Harder. Oh God, yes, yes, yes, like that. Exactly like that.”

Harry buries his face in Niall’s neck and grins happily, moving his hips faster and harder, doing exactly what Niall tells him to and relishing in the moans and curses he gets in return. Niall is quite the talker during sex and isn’t shy about letting Harry know when he really likes something. Harry loves it. Finds it incredibly hot. He’s not surprised - outside the bedroom Niall also talks a lot and is loud and boisterous. Harry fell in love with that and it’s no different in the bedroom.

“It feels so good to be in your arms like this. Finally.” Harry murmured into Niall’s ear. He felt completely safe with Niall, and completely happy for the first time on a very long time. It may sound strange if he said to people that Niall made him feel safe. After all he’s the one who was hired to be the bodyguard. He’s the one who was keeping Niall safe. Yet Niall made him feel safe and loved and for the first time in a long, long time, the constant noise in Harry’s brain has quieted and slowly but surely he was beginning to feel at peace.

While Harry was busy thinking, Niall decided to flip them over and Harry yelled in surprise then quickly burst into laughter when he saw the proud look on Niall’s face, “Want to ride you.” Niall said with a grin on his face.

“Not gonna argue with that,” Harry chuckles, then watches with lust in his eyes as Niall lowers himself down on his cock. As Niall begins to move, quickly figuring out how it all works, Harry admires him and runs his hands over his body from his sweaty chest to his thighs muscles that were working to lift him up and down off Harry’s cock, “You’re gorgeous. Just look at you. Making yourself feel good on my cock.”

Niall breathes out a laugh and moves his hips in circles, moaning when Harry’s hands came to rest on his hips and squeezed, “God!” Niall breathes out as he starts to bounce up and down on Harry’s cock, “I’m getting close. Your cock keeps brushing against my - fuck, fuck, yes! Just - Harry you’re almost there. Just - change the angle a little and - oh fuck right there!”

Harry moaned and grabbed onto Niall’s hips tight, pounding up into him at the angle Niall wanted, hitting his prostate over and over again and watching the pure pleasure on Niall’s face. The noises he was making were going straight to Harry’s cock and making arousal curl in his stomach telling him he was going to come soon.

“Gonna make me come, baby,” Harry panted as he continued to pound his cock up into Niall. They had a perfect rhythm going now, perfectly in sync with Niall grinding his hips down as Harry drove his up.

“Fuck,” Niall cursed, his breathing coming out in gasps now, and sweat dripping off his forehead and down the side of his face, “Harry. Harry, don’t let go of me. I need to - “ Niall took one hand off Harry’s chest where he had put them for leverage and fisted his cock, pumping it hard as he was close to coming.

“Yes,” Harry murmured encouragement, sliding his hands down from Niall’s hips to grab hard onto his ass like he knows Niall likes. He dug his fingers in and began to knead his ass cheeks, smacking one of them and earning a long, low moan from Niall, “That’s it baby. Make yourself come for me. Want to see you.”

“Yeah. Fuck,” Niall gasped, his hand fisting his cock faster and faster until his whole body tenses and he lets out one long moan as he comes onto his hand and Harry’s lower abdomen.

The sight and sound of Niall coming was the most amazing thing Harry has ever seen. Heat consumed his body as his own orgasm took over and he held on tight to Niall’s ass while he filled the condom inside Niall with his come.

“Oh fuck,” Niall murmured, his hips slowing down when he was finished coming, “Fuck. Christ.”

Harry was gasping in air, trying to regain his breath, but he managed a small chuckle and a smile up at Niall who was the most perfect sight with his messed up sex hair and body glistening with sweat, “I - “ Harry paused to gulp in more air, “I second everything you just said.”

Niall laughed and slowly lifted himself off Harry’s cock, crawling up the bed to lay down next to Harry with one leg thrown over the older man’s body. He nuzzled his nose against Harry’s cheek and kissed the side of his mouth softly, “That was absolutely perfect.”

Harry smiled and turned his head slightly, kissing the side of Niall’s side, “Yeah? Perfect? How am I supposed to live up to that next time?”

Niall laughs softly and traces a finger over Harry’s chest, gently scratching at his sparse chest hair, “You don’t have to live up to anything. It’ll always be perfect with you I reckon. Because of the way you make me feel with just a simple look or touch.”

Harry doesn’t say anything to that. Instead he turns both his head and Niall’s and kisses him tenderly, letting his lips and tongue do the talking. After awhile of kissing and murmuring nonsense to each other, Niall shivers and Harry declares they should get up and take a shower together. He gets up first and finally gets rid of the condom in the bathroom while also turning on the shower. When he gets back, Niall is still spread out on the bed and Harry laughs at him, tossing a pillow at him and telling him to stop being lazy.

“I can’t get up!” Niall whines, making a face at Harry.

Harry’s smile turns to a frown and he walks over to the bed concerned, “Did I hurt you?”

Niall quickly shakes his head, “No! My ass is fine. My legs are like jello.”

Harry laughs loudly and reaches out to grab one of Niall’s hands, pulling him up into a sitting position at the end of the bed, “Come here, you,” Harry says fondly, then picks Niall up like a koala and carries him into the bathroom for a shower.

  
~~~

  
Later that night, Niall is curled around Harry in bed when he is awoken by the sounds of Harry murmuring in his sleep. He blinks his eyes a few times to wake himself up a bit, then hooks his chin over Harry’s shoulder and gently kisses his cheek next to his ear, “Harry...wake up, darlin’. You’re having a bad dream.”

Harry groaned in his sleep and started to twitch a little, mumbling words Niall couldn’t quite make out. He kept his arms around Harry and pressed his chest right up against Harry’s back, hoping the warmth and his touch would help calm Harry down a little.

“Harry. Time to wake up, darlin’. Wake up and talk to me,” Niall said softly, speaking right into Harry’s ear. He kissed Harry’s neck a few times and held on to him, hoping he would wake up and that this wouldn’t escalate into Harry shouting like he has when previously having nightmares.

After a few minutes of trying to wake him, Harry finally wakes with a start, sitting up in the bed and looking around everywhere as if he’s trying to remember where he is. Niall sits up with him and sees the very moment Harry realizes he’s safe and sound in a hotel room in Georgia. His whole body relaxes and he shrinks into himself a little, falling back into Niall’s arms and sighing.

“I’m sorry,” Harry says softly, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Niall holds Harry against his chest and kisses the top of his head, “Shut up, you. I don’t care about that. Are you alright?”

Harry sighs again and reaches for one of Niall’s hands, linking their fingers together, “I am. I promise.”

“Good,” Niall murmurs, squeezing Harry’s hand gently, “That wasn’t as bad as other times you’ve had a nightmare. Is this the first one you’ve had in awhile? You were telling me a few weeks ago you were having nightmares a lot less since you started therapy.”

“Yeah,” Harry said quietly, “It’s been about two weeks since the last one. My therapist told me it wouldn’t be unusual for them to crop up when I’m feeling really happy. I’ve been struggling with a lot of guilt for a long time now and we’re working on that but it’s not something that can be fixed overnight. It will take awhile but I’m making progress. She tells me I’m doing well so...”

“I’m so proud of you,” Niall said, letting go of Harry enough so he could turn Harry to face him, “I don’t know the full story on what your nightmares are about but I know they’re bad and I’m so proud you’re talking to the doctor about all this and learning how to feel better. You deserve that, H. More than anything.”

Harry moves around on the bed, asking Niall if they can lay back down. They do, both men on their sides facing each other, and Niall holds one of Harry’s hands while resting the other one on his hip. Harry smiles softly at him and pecks him on the nose before speaking, “I think it’s about time you know the full story.”

Niall’s eyes widen slightly and he opens his mouth to protest but Harry puts a finger to his lips and shakes his head, “I want to tell you. I know you don’t need me too and you’d never ask me too but I want to.”

“Okay,” Niall whispers, his heart beating a bit faster at the knowledge he was about to hear about something in Harry’s life that deeply hurt him. He doesn’t ever want to think about Harry hurting so badly but he’s going to listen to the story and be strong for the man he loves if it’s what Harry wants, “Go ahead, darlin’”

Harry takes a deep breath and stares into Niall’s eyes for a moment. Niall stares back and smiles encouragingly at his boyfriend, letting him know he can speak whenever he’s ready, “My unit was on a mission one night in Afghanistan. After two years of failed leads and bad intel we finally thought we had a solid lead on a high ranking member of The Taliban. He was a money man with many connections and if we caught him those connections would dry up because they weren’t about to trust anyone but him. Cutting off a big part of their financing would be huge. Make it harder for them to get weapons and make bombs and...well you get my drift.”

Niall nods so Harry continues, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, “When we got to the location the intel said this Taliban member was hiding out, I just got this feeling, this sixth sense that something wasn’t right. At that point in my career I had been apart of hundreds of missions and I’d been in charge long enough to believe my gut when it’s telling me something. It’s hard to explain really. Just something in the air didn’t feel right, the building didn’t feel right, nothing _looked_ right. I decided to pull my team back and wait for command to get further intel by positioning a drone above us. I gave the order but the new guy on the team, Chris Walsh, was antsy. He thought I was being too cautious and wanted to go ahead with the mission, bust into the building and grab the guy we were looking for. I said no but he was convinced he had it all figured out. He stepped out from cover and...God, Niall it all happened so fast. I was screaming at him to get back then I saw the glint of light out of the corner of my eye. The glint of sun off a sniper rifle. It was behind him. I tried to warn him but...”

Niall kept silent, holding tight onto Harry’s hand and watching as his boyfriend struggled to keep himself from crying. He lost that battle and two single tears trickled down his cheeks, breaking Niall’s heart in the process, “Harry...my God. How long have you been carrying this around with you? Without talking to anybody?”

Harry sniffled and wiped his tears away, “Few years. Told Mum the whole story one night and that’s the only time I had spoken about it.”

Niall slid his hand that was on Harry’s hip up Harry’s arm to cup his cheek, “It’s no wonder you were having such bad nightmares. I’m so sorry, darlin’. I’d give anything for you not to have gone through that.”

Harry nods and sniffles again, presses his cheek into Niall’s hand, “I know you would. I knew what I was signing up for when I enlisted. They don’t sugarcoat anything.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier though,” Niall says softly, “I’m really thankful you’re talking about this to a therapist now. I don’t want you to suffer anymore. You don’t deserve that. What happened...it was tragic and my heart breaks for his family but it wasn’t your fault. It really wasn’t.”

Harry is quiet for the longest time just laying there staring into Niall’s eyes while Niall threaded his fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. When he finally speaks again he’s a bit choked up, “It’s not my fault. I always knew that in my head y’know? Just...I never felt it in my heart. I kept thinking maybe if I was a better leader Walsh wouldn’t have ignored me and gone rogue. It was my team. My unit. I was commanding officer. “

“What about now?” Niall asks, searching Harry’s eyes and wondering if he was on his way to truly being okay.

“Now...” Harry pauses and closes his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile appearing on his lips, “Now my heart is starting to catch up with my head. I’m learning to let go of the guilt. I’ve still got a long road ahead of me and a lot of hard work but it doesn’t scare me. I want to be okay again. For you, for my family and friends, but most importantly for me. I’m going to be okay again, Niall. I’m going to be okay.”

Niall smiles wide and moves his whole body over on top of Harry, kissing his lips and his cheeks over and over again until he hears Harry’s ridiculous care free laugh, “I love you so much. I’m so proud of you. I’ve never been more proud in my life. Fuck!”

Harry holds Niall tight against him, giggling happily in between kisses, “I’m pretty proud of me too.”

  
~~~

  
**July**

  
Niall makes his way backstage after doing his soundcheck and meet and greet in Oklahoma and the first thing he hears is loud laughter. One female and one ridiculous honking male laugh that belongs to the love of his life, Harry. Niall chuckles and smiles fondly as he follows the sound to his opening acts dressing room where he finds Harry and Maren Morris amongst a ton of clothes that seem to have exploded everywhere.

“Oi! What’s going on in here?” He asks as he takes in the scene with a smile on his face.

Maren turns to look at him, her cute pixie face already done up with makeup, “I think I’m firing my stylist and hiring Harry instead.”

That gets a snort out of Maren’s husband who is sitting on the couch next to Harry and another loud, cackling laugh from Harry. It’s become the norm ever since Harry joined him on tour after The Masters. First it was Julia Michaels who Harry befriended in ten seconds. They were BFF’s instantly and spent all their time together backstage while Niall was busy with other things. They both also had devious minds and the pranks on both Julia’s and Niall’s bands got a bit out of hand but not in a bad way. Everyone loved it and when it was time for Julia to say goodbye, Niall isn’t sure who cried more - her or Harry.

Then it was Maren’s turn. Of course Harry had already met her but she hadn’t been aware at the CMA’s that Harry was his bodyguard. She was told he was management just like everyone else so when they were introduced again and Niall explained everything, she immediately became BFF’s with Harry, only she bonded with Harry through fashion instead of pranks.

To Niall it was incredible. He has become good friends with both women and it makes him extremely happy to see his boyfriend getting along so well with them and everyone else on tour. Every day Harry comes out of his shell more and more and to Niall it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“Is that so?” Niall smirked, walking over to sit on Harry’s lap and give him a quick kiss, “He’ll have to do it over the phone, love. I’m not letting him go.”

Harry smiles sweetly and kisses Niall again, rubbing their noses together and making Maren coo, “I could do it over Skype but I don’t think Mari was serious, baby.”

Maren cocked her hip to the side and pouted, “I love my stylist dearly, actually, but you’ve encouraged me to wear things I never thought I would and I’m loving it, H. You have such a great eye. I’m definitely going to be texting you non stop once tour is over. I’ll need your advice and encouragement when I find something I’m afraid to wear.”

“Always happy to help. You look beautiful in anything anyway. You just need to have more confidence in yourself. You’ll get there. You’re already a force to be reckoned with!” Harry says with a genuine smile on his face.

“Alright!” Niall says, jumping up off Harry’s lap and grabbing him by the hand, “I’m stealing my man back for a couple hours before I have to go on later. Have a good show as always Maren. I’ll see ya for ‘Seeing Blind’”

Niall barely hears her and her husband’s response because he is too busy dragging Harry out of the room and down the hall to his own dressing room. Once they get inside he closes and locks the door before getting his hands and mouth on his boyfriend, “Missed you so much today.”

Harry kisses him back just as eagerly, hoisting Niall up around his waist and grabbing onto his ass with both his hands, “Missed you, too, baby. You were quite busy today.”

Niall kissed his way down Harry’s neck, pushing his shirt open and getting his mouth on Harry’s sternum and down over his chest hair. Harry groaned and walked them over to the couch where he sat down with Niall straddling his lap.

Things progress quickly from there. Niall wasn’t planning on fucking, maybe just a quick hand job or something, but he gets so turned on by Harry so quickly, especially when Harry is grabbing his ass the way he does, that he finds himself begging for it and Harry can never say no to him.

It takes some manoeuvring but Harry gets both their jeans and boxers down enough and Niall gets up long enough to get lube from his bag, then Niall is getting what he wants - Harry fucking up into him on the couch while Niall muffles any noise he might make by biting down on one of Harry’s head scarves. It’s a little kinky but Niall has discovered since he’s been with Harry that he likes a bit of kink in his sex life and Harry is happy to oblige.

“Oh. My. Goooooddddddd.” Niall moans around the green headscarf when Harry fucks up into him extra hard and right at his prostate, “Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Shhhh,” Harry whispers, his lips attached to Niall’s jaw, giving him open mouth kisses, “Gotta be quiet or someone will hear us.”

Niall’s eyes roll back in his head as he bounces faster and harder on Harry’s cock, minutes away from his release. Harry holds on to him tight, his fingers digging into his ass cheeks, no doubt leaving marks Niall will admire in the mirror later.

“You feel so incredible, baby, just like always,” Harry is whispering in his ear, getting Niall closer and closer to that orgasm he’s been craving since this morning when he last saw Harry.

Niall runs his hands up over Harry’s sweaty pecs, his silk shirt still on his body with two buttons still done up. It’s hot as fuck and when Harry lets go of his ass with one hand to pump his cock instead, Niall comes hard, his eyes rolled back in his head and his legs shaking. Harry comes a minute later, filling up the condom inside Niall and moaning against Niall’s neck.

They stay that way for five minutes, then Niall gets up and gets rid of the condom, giggling when he looks over at Harry with his sex hair, bruised lips, sweaty chest, and silk shirt with Niall’s come on it, “Gonna have to change out of that shirt I think.”

Harry looks down at himself and snorts when he sees Niall’s come on his shirt, “You think? Because I think I’ll just button this up a bit and go on out there, scar your band for life.”

Niall cackled while he pulled his own clothes back on, “If only Gerry were here. His reaction would be priceless.”

Harry hums and gets his own boxers and jeans pulled up then gets his phone and snaps a picture of his shirt, “We’ll text it to him.”

Niall’s eyes grow wide and he guffaws loudly, going over to see if Harry is really sending it. When the message comes up saying delivered, Niall collapses onto Harry’s lap in a fit of cackling laughter while Harry laughs more quietly and looks at Niall with all the fondness and heart eyes in the world.

“Oh my God!” Niall gasps, tears dripping from his eyes, “I’m so fucking in love with you, Harry Styles.”

Harry beams at him, his dimples deepening in his cheeks the way Niall loves so so much. He leans in and presses his lips to Niall’s gently and murmurs, “I’m so fucking in love with you, too.”

 


End file.
